New o-line this week and Dobbs to play this week if Worley can't

I like it. Dobbs is a bigger run threat, and would be much more effective at the read/option than Worley.


Don't know much about Kerbyson and Kendrick, are they an improvement?

Kendrick looked the best of all our tackles on Saturday imo and Kerbyson should be better at guard or RT than he has been at left.

I wouldn't expect Worley to play..

quote:

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Dobbs will start at QB if Worley can't go.

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I understand he might not do great, but will be much better than the other option. Good to see the white flag hasn't been waved.

Sure as hell can't hurt our chances. Maybe Dobbs can take the next month to month and a half and get ready to run this offense next season.

Kendrick is our most productive in game LT, so this should've already happened.

Some posted this elsewhere:

Per VQ, Justin Worley is extremely banged up. Even Peterman is a little nicked up. Both Peterman and Dobbs have been and will continue to get 1st team reps this week.

On the OL, Coleman Thomas will be "hard pressed" to play this Saturday. Marcus Jackson didn't get terrible news, but he's certainly not 100%.

quote:

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eel pretty good about it.

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Thanks for that and the heads up, especially since there's so much confusion about it all.

Worley didn't throw in open practice today.
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VQ:
Tennessee's offensive starters got work with all of the Vols' scholarship quarterbacks Tuesday during practice on Haslam Field, with backups Nathan Peterman and Joshua Dobbs continuing to get a substantial workload.

While incumbent Justin Worley practiced but did not throw a pass in the open portions, Peterman and Dobbs --- each with starting experience a year ago, but only Peterman has played this season --- continued to get reps with Tennessee's first-team offense. Jones said it was imperative to get the signal-callers behind Worley reps sooner than later this week.

"Well, it helps immensely," Jones said when asked by VolQuest.com. "They've gained valuable practice repetitions, game-speed repetitions, but you can try to simulate everything in practice and put them in hypothetical situations, but really it comes down to live opportunities. When you look at Nate Peterman getting some live snaps last year and this year; you look at Josh Dobbs last year, so again that proves beneficial for the entire growth and development of that group.

"We do [try to be proactive]. We've found out very quickly here that quarterback is one snap away, so again those repetitions are very valuable."

Added starting tailback Jalen Hurd of the additional work with Dobbs and Peterman, "It's great. We need to have great meshes with all of our quarterbacks. We do that each week, week by week. It's good to have that correlation with all the quarterbacks."

Worley has been sacked at least 28 of the 30 times that Vols' quarterbacks have been tackled on attempted passing plays through Tennessee's first seven games; the Vols also are dead-last in the SEC and 123rd nationally in sacks allowed.

Junior center Mack Crowder said it benefits him to work with all the signal-callers, but Crowder insisted he had worked with both Dobbs and Peterman before this week.

"I mean it helps just to be comfortable with all of them," Crowder said. "… Somebody asked if it's any different, but we've really been doing this since camp. We're comfortable with everybody back there."

Tennessee also is seeking comfort along its offensive front, which did not have starters Marcus Jackson (LG) and Coleman Thomas (RT) on the practice field during open sessions.

Jones insisted that Jackson, who twisted his knee in the loss last week at Ole Miss, later did some work in practice, but he admitted that Thomas was not as progressed from his high-ankle sprain. The Vols have worked a number of different combinations along their starting five this week, including from left to right: Kyler Kerbyson, Jashon Robertson, Crowder, Dylan Wiesman and Brett Kendrick. Kerbyson also has worked some at guard and even got in some snaps at center with Dobbs early in Tuesday's practice. Jackson could get a more legitimate workload on Wednesday, while Jacob Gilliam, he of the torn ACL suffered on Aug. 31, and Austin Sanders both are potential options at tackle and guard, respectively.

Wiesman is one of Tennessee's starters on punt shield, and Jones praised the Ohio native's toughness; Robertson, a true freshman who began his Vols career as a defensive tackle in practice, has been the starter at right guard each of the first seven games.

"(Wiesman) brings a grittiness, a toughness. Very, very competitive," Jones said. "Again, when we talk about what separates freshmen, it's the maturity. And Jashon has been extremely mature, and he's very cerebral, he's very intelligent. And that allows flexibility in his positions."

Like Jones, Crowder praised Wiesman's toughness.

"Just the physical edge that he brings. When you think of Wiesman, you think of a tough-nosed guy that doesn't give up for anything," Crowder said. "As an offensive lineman, that's who you want to be playing next to.

"(Wiesman) comes from Colerain (High School in Cincinnati), little country guy, and he definitely has a little nasty streak in him."

Similarly, while pointing to Robertson's cross-training Crowder noted that's the philosophy for the entire offensive line.

"Says a lot, just because he's a smart guy," Crowder explained. "And really everybody can move around. In the film room, we're all answering questions for every position. It's really just taking it to the field at that point.

"This is the whole reason for it, because throughout the season things happen and guys do have to move around."

For Tennessee this week, that's true both along the offensive front and at quarterback.
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ARTICLE LINK: LINK

Even though, they're trying not to tip their hand CBJ's presser didn't sound too good today regarding Worley either. Working both Peterman and Dobbs with the 1s either means coaches are still reluctant to burn the redshirt OR they don't want BAMA to get an idea of who might be starting. Peterman, however, would be a nightmare, imo. I've also seen posters I trust indicate Dobbs will start over Peterman and that his parents have already given their blessing to burn it if need be (he was promised a RS his true freshman year during recruitment).

Despite not declaring Worley out I just can't fathom him not throwing with the 1s unless it's pretty serious.

I know the want to keep Dobbs redshirted but if they start Peterman over him it WILL be a total disaster

Practice update:
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Per VQ - Justin Worley still didn't throw a pass in any of the open portions of Tennessee's practice Wednesday afternoon, and Coleman Thomas also was not on the practice field.

Guard Marcus Jackson did return, albeit with a limp, to Haslam Field and got some work with the Vols' pieced-together offensive line. Kyler Kerbyson got more work at left tackle, and Jashon Robertson continued to get work at both guard positions. Mack Crowder remained working at center, though both Kerbyson and Dylan Wiesman continued to get snaps with the quarterbacks. Wiesman got more work at right guard as well, and Jacob Gilliam and Brett Kendrick continued to get work at tackle as well.
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I honestly don't see how/why Worley misses even vanilla passing time unless something is up. This is two days in a row we know of. So to me it's, looking more and more like the decision will be between Dobbs and Peterman and if so I pray to Gawd it's Dobbs. However, burning that redshirt will also mean Worley's out for an extended period. As bad as Peterman is in games one game doesn't justify it. Multiple games and the clear need to get Dobbs reps behind this lousy line for the rest of our games DO.