Is this even allowed?
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Jeremy Pruitt is going back to the future this spring, experimenting with players moving from offense to defense, and vice versa.
Among the players changing positions for the start of spring drills:
• Junior Tyler Byrd moving to defensive back from receiver
• Junior Carlin Fils-aime moving from tailback to cornerback
• Redshirt sophomore Jay Blakely moving from defensive end to tight end
Vols athletic director Phillip Fulmer commonly used players on both sides of the ball when they arrived at Tennessee, looking to see when and where position changes made sense.
NFL All-Pro Jason Witten was recruited to Tennessee as a defensive end, while other future Tennessee NFL stars like Fred Weary and Scott Wells changed sides of the ball successfully.
Pruitt said Thursday has the same intentions as Fulmer once did, to maximize the roster talent.
“We actually have several guys that probably are going to work in different spots the first half of spring and then see where it’s at,” Pruitt said on Thursday, “and then we’re gong to give them an opportunity to play another spot if we don’t feel comfortable with where they’re at.”
The Vols open spring drills on March 20 and will hold the annual Orange and White Game on April 21.
Pruitt said Blakely will work at tight end the first seven days of spring practice, and likewise for Byrd and Fils-aime.
Pruitt was no specific with which defensive back position Byrd would play.
Position alignment
Tennessee redshirt freshman defensive end Ryan Thaxton recently announced on Twitter he’d be playing linebacker, but Pruitt explained that’s not really a position change.
“A 4-3 defensive end,” Pruitt said, “is an outside linebacker for us.”
The Vols will be using a 3-4 defense, Pruitt said, but the plan is to stay multiple to there will still be some 4-3 looks