By Ashley Stadnicki
Tennessee’s secondary has not exactly had the easiest start to fall camp. A season-ending injury. A new defensive system. Young players trying to learn the ropes. Veterans adjusting and taking on bigger leadership roles.
Sounds like a lot, right?
If Tuesday’s media availability showed anything, it’s that Tennessee’s defensive backs are not exactly panicking. Instead, the room seems to be leaning into the chaos.
“Football is a game of adversity,” cornerbacks coach Derek Jones said.
That adversity became very real when defensive back Edrees Farooq suffered a torn patellar tendon after what co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Anthony Poindexter called a “tremendous camp” for the player. Farooq had begun separating himself in the secondary before the injury, making the loss especially difficult.
“It’s unfortunate,” Poindexter said.
For the players, though, the injury hit beyond football.
“He’s a brother of mine, not just on the field but off the field,” DeJuan Lane said.
Still, football does not wait around for anyone. So Tennessee’s secondary has quickly adopted the next-man-up mentality.
“It hurt, but it’s part of the game,” Dylan Lewis said. “Next man up.”
With Farooq sidelined, someone has to take those reps.
Jones said the injury has given younger players more opportunities throughout fall camp, specifically mentioning Tim Merritt and Tre Poteat III. More reps, more mistakes, more learning and hopefully, more players ready when their number gets called.
Poteat is one of those younger players looking to take the next step. He said he has matured on and off the field and is working toward becoming more of a leader. He also has a pretty fitting connection to his jersey number.
“It’s been my dream to be No. 3,” Poteat said, explaining that he is the third child in his family, a third-generation Tre and now gets to wear No. 3. Talk about commitment to the bit.
Competition Is Everywhere
If there is one word that kept popping up when Tennessee’s defensive backs talked, it was competition.
“It’s a battle for all of us,” Lane said. “We’re all just trying to get the best out of each other.”
Apparently, the competition does not stop when the secondary walks off the practice field.
Qua Moss was asked who has won more battles between him and wide receiver Braylon Staley.
The answer? Still undecided.
The two are tied up for now, Moss said. That is probably not the worst thing when the guy across from you is part of what Moss called the “best receivers I’ve played with for sure.”
Moss has been one of the more entertaining personalities in the room, recently getting mic’d up with VFL Films and showing fans a little more of who he is off the field. He said the experience helped him be more outgoing.
When asked whether he wants to become a leader in the locker room, Moss did not hesitate.
“I’m finna be that one,” he said.
No further questions.
Poindexter sees plenty to like from Moss on the field, too.
“Twitchy, fast, tough,” the new Tennessee coach said. “He shows up everyday ready to compete.”
For Moss, the opportunity to compete in the SEC is something he once dreamed about while playing at the JUCO level. Now, he is here and clearly not planning on staying quiet.
A Room Learning To Play Fast
There is also a lot of learning happening behind the scenes. Tennessee’s defense is demanding, and for newcomers, the communication can be one of the biggest adjustments. Lane, now in his second year in the system, said he is beginning to identify what coaches look for in different situations.
The first time through, though?
“The communication and codes could be confusing for the new guys,” Lane said.
That is where experience starts to matter. Kayin Lee said he feels like one of the older guys in the room after playing significant football in the SEC.
“I know the schemes,” Lee said. “It helps me play faster.”
Jones said the defensive back came to Tennessee already well coached. Now, the focus is on ensuring he continues to improve from year to year. Lee said he has noticed the energy from the younger players around him.
“Those young guys have a kick to them,” he said. “They’re ready to go.”
That energy has to be balanced with experience, though, especially in a defense that requires quick reactions and split-second decisions.
“I’m pleased with all the guys and their understanding of our system and how things get done,” Poindexter said. “The real test will be playing the game.”
Still Plenty To Prove
Tennessee’s secondary is not short on intriguing players.
Poindexter said the growth he has seen from Lane in one year has been “unbelievable,” especially in the way he sees the game. He praised Lane’s combination of size, athleticism and speed.
Lewis believes his versatility has helped him find a role in the defense and said his mentality changed during the offseason. The biggest difference he sees?
“I feel like we’re more of an aggressive team now,” he said.
Then there is TJ Metcalf, who Poindexter said has played in three different defenses over the last four years. Despite another adjustment, Poindexter said it is obvious Metcalf has experience in “big-time environments.”
The talent is there. Now it is about putting it all together.
“When you get really good players, you have to point them in the right direction,” Poindexter said.
Poindexter also said he has grown since last season.
“I’m a better teacher than I was a year ago,” he said.
That growth will be tested soon enough.
For now, Tennessee can work on angles, assignments and the decisions made on every play. But eventually, there is only one way to find out where this group really stands.
You have to play.
“You have to get used to going to the ground and getting tackled,” Poindexter said. “The true game will be the test.”
Until then, the secondary will keep battling each other, learning the defense and embracing every opportunity created by adversity.
Farooq’s absence is a major loss, and his teammates are feeling it. But the response from the rest of the room has been consistent.
Work harder. Compete everyday. Be ready when your number is called.
And, above all else? Keep moving on to the next play.
“We are all here for each other,” Lee said. “We all have that next-play mentality.”
For Tennessee’s secondary, that mentality is already being put to the test and the season has not even started yet.