GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast
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GoVols247 writers Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan, Grant Ramey and Patrick Brown discuss anything and everything related to University of Tennessee sports and much more.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
6 days ago
Football schedule, BaseVols talk, Nicomania, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss a change in Tennessee's 2023 football schedule, the top-ranked Vols baseball team rolling and football recruiting — which of course means more Nicomania.
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May 16, 2022
Five-star Phillips signs with Vols hoops
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Monday's news that five-star wing Julian Phillips has officially signed with Tennessee.
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May 10, 2022
Tennessee building top 10 recruiting class
GoVols247 recruiting editor Ryan Callahan joins the show to discuss how Tennessee's class has been impacted since the commitment of 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava, the recruits to watch heading into the summer and what we might expect from former 5-star WR Bru McCoy, who has opted to transfer from USC to the Vols.
Host: Blair Angulo
Guest: Ryan Callahan
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May 3, 2022
Elite receiver talent transferring to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — former five-star receiver prospect Bru McCoy, who will portal from USC.
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May 2, 2022
Tennessee native leaving Ohio State for Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — former four-star DB prospect Andre Turrentine, a Nashville native who will portal from Ohio State.
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Apr 26, 2022
Four-star Alabama safety commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's recruiting class — four-star safety Sylvester Smith from Munford, Alabama.
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Apr 19, 2022
Elite in-state edge commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's 2023 recruit — top-50-overall edge Caleb Herring from Riverdale High School in Nashville-area Murfreesboro.
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Apr 15, 2022
Local lineman commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's 2023 recruiting class — versatile lineman Trevor Duncan from Knoxville Catholic High School.
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Apr 11, 2022
In-state DL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's 2023 class — defensive lineman Nathan Robinson from Nashville-area Greenbrier High School.
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Apr 5, 2022
BaseVols vs. The World. Spring football, too.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee football spring camp and a top-ranked Vols baseball team performing historically well.
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Mar 21, 2022
Five-star California QB picks Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss a huge day for Tennessee football. Five-star California QB Nico Iamaleava committed to the Vols.
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Mar 16, 2022
2022 NCAA Tournament Mega-Preview and Bracket Predictions: Parrish, Norlander reveal all their picks (Eye on College Basketball Podcast)
Download and follow Eye on College Basketball for the most comprehensive March Madness coverage including complete bracket breakdowns and nightly game recaps! You can find the Eye on College Basketball podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else podcasts are found.
Thursday is ALMOST. HERE. We're less than 24 hours out from the full field of 64 games starting. So, Gary and Matt have decided to spoil the entire tournament for you: The duo spends much of the episode breaking down the entire bracket, all the way to the championship game in New Orleans. PLUS: Norlander goes solo on the back end and takes listener questions galore on the bracket. Huge ep ahead.
READ: Norlander - NCAA numbers to know
READ: Gary and Matt's picks for every region
JOIN THE Eye On College Basketball March Madness Bracket Group
(03:03) - West Bracket Breakdown
(22:45) - Eastern Bracket Breakdown
(35:43) - South Bracket Breakdown
(47:46) - Midwest Bracket Breakdown
(01:00:41) - Norlander's NCAA Mailbag
L…
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Mar 11, 2022
GoVols247 exclusive with Josh Heupel
GoVols247's Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan sit down with Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel as the Vols prepare to open spring camp.
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Mar 9, 2022
5-MINUTE MORNING: Vols go all-in on 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava
Ryan Callahan, the recruiting editor at GoVols247, joins the show to discuss the biggest recruiting visit of the past weekend which was 5-star QB Nico Iamaleava taking a trip to Tennessee and how Josh Heupel is faring early on in the 2023 cycle.
Host: Blair Angulo
Guest: Ryan Callahan
Follow or Subscribe to the 247Sports Football Recruiting podcast feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Mar 6, 2022
In-state receiver commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's 2023 recruiting class — wide receiver Nate Spillman from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville.
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Mar 3, 2022
Beware the Vols of March?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss (mostly) Tennessee basketball as the No. 13 Vols still have every championship to play for heading into their regular-season finale.
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Feb 21, 2022
Charging into busy week for Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a busy week for Tennessee football (assistant coach search), basketball (pre-March drama) and baseball (dominant opening weekend) while trying to avoid charge calls.
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Feb 7, 2022
One-on-one with Tony Vitello
GoVols247's Wes Rucker sits down with Vols baseball coach Tony Vitello for an exclusive discussion on last season's run to the College World Series and the upcoming season, which starts next week.
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Jan 31, 2022
In-state OL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's 2023 class — O-lineman Ayden Bussell from Nashville-area Mount Juliet High School.
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Jan 29, 2022
New Jersey DL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — 6-foot-6 defensive lineman Jayson Jenkins from New Jersey.
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Jan 27, 2022
Vols hoops: Bad Boys for now
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a No. 18 Tennessee basketball team that has gotten back on track and been fueled by a large increase of feistiness.
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Jan 20, 2022
Portal gut punch, hoops talk, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a portal gut-punch delivered to Tennessee football and preview a big weekend for the 24th-ranked Vols basketball team.
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Jan 13, 2022
Vols hoops needs more onions, less layers
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the state of an erratic, 22nd-ranked Tennessee basketball team heading into a weekend showdown at No. 18 Kentucky.
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Jan 13, 2022
Josh Heupel aiming to push Tennessee recruiting towards the SEC's elite
With Josh Heupel's first full recruiting class soon to be complete, the question still remains... How can Tennessee match what SEC rivals like Alabama, Texas A&M, LSU, and Georgia are doing on the recruiting trail and re-establish themselves as one of the conference's elite teams? Ryan Callahan of GoVols247.com breaks it all down.
Host: Lance Glinn
Guests: Ryan Callahan
Follow or Subscribe to the 247Sports Football Recruiting podcast feed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Jan 8, 2022
Vols add big wideout from transfer portal
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's major addition of Wyoming star receiver Isaiah Neyor from the transfer portal.
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Dec 31, 2021
Controversial conclusion to Vols' season
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss the Vols' controversial, overtime loss to Purdue in a wild Music City Bowl game in Nashville.
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Dec 23, 2021
Major momentum for Vols hoops, football
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a major surge of momentum for Tennessee basketball and football heading into Christmas.
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Dec 10, 2021
Big four-star receiver commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — big four-star wide receiver Kaleb Webb from McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia.
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Dec 6, 2021
Junior college corner commits to Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — cornerback Desmond Williams from East Central CC in Mississippi.
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Dec 4, 2021
Alabama safety flips to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment of Tennessee’s recruiting class — safety Jourdan Thomas from Catholic Preparatory School in Montgomery, Alabama.
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Dec 2, 2021
Football coaching carousel, hoops chatter
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a wild college football coaching carousel that's remaining unusually quiet in Knoxville, plus lots of chatter on the No. 13 Vols hoops team.
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Nov 29, 2021
NFL legacy DB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's recruiting class — Atlanta-area defensive back Christian Harrison, the son of former NFL star Rodney Harrison.
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Nov 28, 2021
Vols roll Vandy, 45-21
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's regular-season-ending 45-21 thumping of Vanderbilt on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
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Nov 25, 2021
Vols-Vandy preview, hoops talk, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Tennessee football's regular-season finale against Vanderbilt, discuss Vols hoops, Thanksgiving and more.
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Nov 22, 2021
Dynamic edge rusher commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's newest football commitment — dynamic, four-star edge defender Joshua Josephs from the Atlanta area.
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Nov 22, 2021
Vols-Vandy, bowl scenarios, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's upcoming regular-season finale against Vanderbilt and the bowl possibilities ahead of the Vols if they handle the Commodores.
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Nov 18, 2021
Huge weekend for Vols football, hoops
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a big weekend for Tennessee football and basketball, with football hoping to secure bowl-eligibility and hoops headed to a loaded tournament in Connecticut.
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Nov 15, 2021
Plenty at stake for Vols to close 2021
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan put a bow on Tennessee's loss to top-ranked Georgia and discuss South Alabama, recruiting, Hendon Hooker's draft stock and much more.
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Nov 14, 2021
Top-ranked Georgia tops Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's loss to top-ranked Georgia on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
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Nov 10, 2021
247Sports College Football Daily: How Josh Heupel made Tennessee fun again
You know the story of Tennessee football the last few months: Booted Jeremy Pruitt, hired the nondescript Josh Heupel, lost about two dozen players in the transfer portal. Yet here the Vols are in November, with an eight-win season still possible. It's one of the best and most surprising quick turnarounds this year in college football.
Host: Trey Scott
Guest: Wes Rucker
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Nov 8, 2021
Nothing-to-lose week begins for dangerous Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss how dangerous a Tennessee team with nothing to lose could be for top-ranked Georgia. Plus recruiting stuff.
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Nov 7, 2021
Vols top No. 18 Kentucky in drunk Beer Barrel
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's wild 45-42 win at No. 18 Kentucky in a drunk Beer Barrel thriller at Kroger Field.
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Nov 4, 2021
Vols not banning themselves from bowl game
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee's decision not to self-impose a bowl ban for improprieties committed under previous coach Jeremy Pruitt, the upcoming Beer Barrel showdown against Kentucky, hoops and more.
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Nov 3, 2021
Beer Barrel preview from both sides
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and The Cats Pause's Derek Terry preview the annual Beer Barrel battle between Tennessee and Kentucky — a huge game for both longtime rivals this year.
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Nov 1, 2021
Vols-Cats chatter, plus recruiting and hoops
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan open Vols-Kentucky week with a chat on the open date, UK's loss in Starkville, the matchups for this game, open date recruiting, hoops and more.
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Oct 28, 2021
Bye-bye Bailey, hoops preview, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the exit of Tennessee quarterback Harrison Bailey and preview the upcoming Tennessee basketball season.
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Oct 24, 2021
Vols collapse late in loss at Bama
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's loss at fourth-ranked Alabama on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
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Oct 21, 2021
Vols-Bama preview, plus legal stuff
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Tennessee's upcoming game at Third Saturday in October rival Alabama and discuss the latest on Jeremy Pruitt's legal threats aimed at UT.
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Oct 18, 2021
Injuries, fines, etc. heading into Bama week
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the aftermath of Tennessee's wild loss to Ole Miss, injuries sustained in that game, fines from the SEC for fan behavior and more heading into Bama week. Plus, obviously, recruiting.
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Oct 17, 2021
Vols fall to Ole Miss on wild night at Neyland
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's 31-26 loss to 13th-ranked Ole Miss on a wild — and sometimes ugly — Saturday night at Neyland Stadium.
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Oct 14, 2021
Vols-Ole Miss preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Tennessee's upcoming visit from 13th-ranked Ole Miss at Neyland Stadium.
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Oct 11, 2021
Vols surging as buzzsaw stretch arrives
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan open Welcome Back Lane Week with a discussion on the Vols' surge into the buzzsaw portion of the schedule, starting this week with Ole Miss.
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Oct 9, 2021
Vols smack South Carolina, 45-20
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's 45-20 win over South Carolina on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
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Oct 7, 2021
Vols-Gamecocks 'Dark Mode' preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview this week's "Dark Mode" game between Tennessee and South Carolina at Neyland Stadium.
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Oct 4, 2021
Wait ... football can be fun?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown put a bow on Tennessee's 62-24 win at Mizzou and discuss how the Vols need to respond this week against South Carolina.
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Oct 2, 2021
Vols mash Mizzou, 62-24
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's 62-24 blowout win at Mizzou. Tennessee needed a day like this.
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Sep 30, 2021
Vols-Mizzou preview, plus hoops and baseball
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Saturday's big Tennessee-Mizzou football game and discuss some interesting Vols basketball and baseball news.
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Sep 27, 2021
What's fixable for these Vols? What isn't?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss what is and isn't fixable for the Vols heading into their most critical stretch of the season.
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Sep 26, 2021
Vols squander chances in loss at No. 11 Florida
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee's loss at 11th-ranked Florida in a game that had promise but also should have been much closer.
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Sep 23, 2021
Tennessee-Florida preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Saturday's Tennessee-Florida game at The Swamp and provide updates on two five-star Tennessee basketball targets.
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Sep 20, 2021
Vols-Gators week begins. Plus a mailbag.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown open Tennessee-Florida week with discussion of the game and answers to great mailbag questions from subscribers.
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Sep 18, 2021
Vols crunch Tennessee Tech, 56-0
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's 56-0 win over Tennessee Tech and start looking at next week's game at Florida.
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Sep 16, 2021
What Vols can get out of TN Tech game
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Tennessee's visit from Tennessee Tech and discuss what the Vols need to do heading into next's game at Florida.
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Sep 13, 2021
Another year, another QB controversy brewing
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's 41-34 loss to Pitt and what to do and quarterback and more from this point forward.
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Sep 11, 2021
Pitt tops Tennessee in wild game
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's 41-34 loss to Pitt in a thriller at Neyland Stadium.
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Sep 9, 2021
Vols-Pitt preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview the Vols' upcoming game against Pitt, discussing key matchups, potential absences and more. Plus hoops nuggets.
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Sep 3, 2021
Likes, dislikes, questions from Vols' win over BG
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's season-opening, 38-6 win over Bowling Green late Thursday night at Neyland Stadium.
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Aug 30, 2021
Why Milton was named Vols' starting QB
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss the reasons why Joe Milton III was named Tennessee's starting quarterback heading into the 2021 season, plus more notes on the depth chart.
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Aug 27, 2021
Bronx PG commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the newest addition to Tennessee basketball's elite recruiting class — point guard Zakai Zeigler from The Bronx, New York.
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Aug 27, 2021
Talking Vols, SEC with 247Sports' Josh Pate
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and 247Sports national guru Josh Pate talk Tennessee, the SEC and much more heading into the 2021 college football season.
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Aug 26, 2021
GoVols247's Tennessee football season predictions
GoVols247's entire crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — discuss their 2021 Tennessee football season predictions, including overall and SEC records.
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Aug 23, 2021
Many unknowns for Vols as season nears
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss the ongoing (apparently) QB competition and some of the many other unknowns heading into Tennessee's 2021 football season.
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Aug 17, 2021
Scrimmage Two recap, QB battle, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown recap Tennessee's second and final major preseason scrimmage, discussing quarterbacks and much more.
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Aug 12, 2021
Maurer's future, scrimmage recap, more
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss the latest from Tennessee's first major preseason camp scrimmage Thursday morning, the uncertain (again) future for Brian Maurer, a big O-line injury and much more.
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Aug 9, 2021
Camp chatter, QB competition, mailbag, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss the latest from Tennessee's preseason camp (including the quarterback competition) and take mailbag questions.
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Aug 4, 2021
Recapping Vols' first day of camp
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown recap the first day of Tennessee's first preseason camp with head coach Josh Heupel.
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Aug 2, 2021
Elite Georgia OL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the latest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — elite O-lineman Addison Nichols from the Atlanta area.
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Jul 31, 2021
'White Lightning' commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the first commitment to Tennessee's 2023 recruiting class — safety Jack "White Lightning" Luttrell from the Atlanta area.
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Jul 31, 2021
Kentucky LB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the latest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — three-star linebacker Kalib Perry from Georgetown, Kentucky.
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Jul 30, 2021
Two Vols selected in first round of NBA Draft
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss a big night for Tennessee in the NBA Draft, and other Vols hoops nuggets.
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Jul 26, 2021
What would SEC expansion mean for Tennessee?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss whether the SEC adding Texas and Oklahoma would be good or bad for Tennessee, plus some preseason camp discussion and chunky recruiting nuggets.
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Jul 22, 2021
SEC expansion, Vols, vaccines, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss the SEC possibly adding Texas and Oklahoma and what that would mean for the Vols, as well as vaccine updates, new practice times and much more.
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Jul 12, 2021
Four-star Memphis WR commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — four-star receiver Cameron Miller from Memphis.
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Jul 10, 2021
Atlanta-area lineman picks Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — offensive lineman Mo Clipper from Milton High School in Alpharetta, Ga.
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Jul 8, 2021
Speedy Alabama WR commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest addition to Tennessee's recruiting class — speedy wide receiver Marquarius "Squirrel" White from Pinson, Alabama.
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Jul 6, 2021
Too much Tennessee info for one simple title
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey discuss a ton of developments for Tennessee football, basketball and baseball on the field and the recruiting trail. Plus this whole NIL thing.
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Jul 2, 2021
Big Detroit OL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's recruiting class — big offensive lineman Masai Reddick from powerhouse Cass Tech in Detroit.
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Jun 25, 2021
Latest on Vitello, Fulkerson, Salter, Beasley
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss ... well ... a lot of Tennessee football, basketball, baseball and recruiting news. Newsy few days in Knoxville.
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Jun 19, 2021
Tennessee College World Series preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker goes over some quick news and notes before clearing the floor for interviews with Vols' senior outfielder Evan Russell and head coach Tony Vitello from the College World Series in Omaha.
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Jun 13, 2021
Speedy Louisiana RB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest commitment to Tennessee's recruiting class — speedy running back Dylan Sampson from Dutchtown High School in Geismar, Louisiana.
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Jun 3, 2021
Vols baseball NCAA Regional preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and the Knoxville News Sentinel's Mike Wilson — our fifth favorite New Zealand native — preview the second-ranked Tennessee baseball team's NCAA Regional this weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
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Jun 3, 2021
Recruiting momentum a must for Vols in June
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss why this is such a huge month for Tennessee football recruiting.
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May 25, 2021
JUCO cornerback chooses Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee securing a commitment from big cornerback Ro Torrence from a familiar place — Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.
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May 17, 2021
Under-the-radar Florida OL commits to Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss under-the-radar Florida offensive tackle prospect Brian Grant's commitment to Tennessee.
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May 13, 2021
Football portal, big hoops visits, huge baseball series
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey and Mike Wilson from the Knoxville News Sentinel discuss big news for Tennessee football, basketball and baseball.
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May 8, 2021
Cincinnati tight end commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee securing a commitment from tight end Brody Foley of Cincinnati.
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May 6, 2021
247Sports College Football Daily: Tennessee braces for another long rebuild, but hopefully this time the payoff is worth it
Josh Heupel knew what he was getting into when he jumped to Knoxville. Now it's about making sure the fans are realistic about how long a legitimate rebuild might take, while making sure to give them glimmers of hope along the way.
Host: Trey Scott
Guest: Patrick Brown
Follow or Subscribe to The College Football Daily on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Find the 247Sports podcast for your favorite team here!
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May 5, 2021
MissState receiver transferring to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Mississippi State receiver (and Nashville native) JaVonta Payton's transfer portal commitment to Tennessee.
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May 3, 2021
NFL Draft recap, portal news, baseball
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown recap how things went for the Vols in the NFL Draft, some recent to-and-fro portal news, top-five Tennessee baseball updates and more.
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May 3, 2021
Texas's leading tackler transferring to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss linebacker Juwan Mitchell pulling a Reverse Crockett and transferring from Texas to Tennessee.
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Apr 28, 2021
Touted Midwest QB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee securing a commitment from four-star quarterback prospect Tayven Jackson from the Indianapolis Arena.
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Apr 26, 2021
Orange & White recap, big QB transfer, etc.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Saturday’s Orange & White game, the addition of quarterback transfer Joe Milton from Michigan, recruiting nuggets and much more. Also don't get food poisoning. It sucks.
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Apr 15, 2021
Florida DE commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's newest commitment — Florida defensive end Venson Sneed.
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Apr 15, 2021
Nine stars of forwards commit to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee's addition of five-star big man Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and four-star big man Jonahs Aidoo.
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Apr 14, 2021
In-state linebacker commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee securing a commitment from linebacker Elijah Herring from Riverdale High School in Murfreesboro.
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Apr 12, 2021
What we saw at Vols' open practice
GoVols247 Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey discuss insights gleaned from Tennessee's open football practice at Neyland Stadium, some major basketball personnel changes and the surging Vols baseball team.
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Apr 9, 2021
Talking Vols spring camp at midway mark
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown quickly discuss basketball portal and baseball news before diving into football at the midway mark of spring camp.
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Apr 2, 2021
Early observations from Vols' spring camp
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss observations Patrick has gleaned from the first two weeks of Tennessee's first spring camp under Josh Heupel.
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Mar 26, 2021
Vols spring preview with Josh Heupel
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown preview Tennessee's first spring football camp with coach Josh Heupel and then speak with Heupel himself.
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Mar 22, 2021
Dissecting a disappointing Vols hoops season
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey dissect a disappointing Tennessee basketball season that started with talk of greatness and ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Mar 17, 2021
Talking Oregon State with beat guy Carter Bahns
GoVols247's Wes Rucker talks Oregon State basketball with 247Sports' OSU beat writer Carter Bahns ahead of Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup between the Vols and Beavers.
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Mar 15, 2021
Tennessee NCAA Tournament preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview the start to this week's NCAA Tournament — which Tennessee will play with or without John Fulkerson.
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Mar 10, 2021
SEC basketball tournament preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview this week's SEC Basketball Tournament in Nashville.
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Mar 8, 2021
New defensive staff talks 2021, beyond
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss details from Monday conversations with every member of Tennessee football's new defensive staff.
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Mar 4, 2021
Fulkerson, Pons talk Senior Day
GoVols247's Wes Rucker runs through some quick news updates before speaking with Tennessee stars John Fulkerson and Yves Pons ahead of their Senior Day matchup with Florida.
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Mar 1, 2021
Quarterback recruiting, basketball frustrations
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee's recent quarterback recruiting situation, Tennessee's basketball frustrations and more.
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Feb 25, 2021
Vols hoops stuck in neutral. Why?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss No. 25 Tennessee's lackluster Wednesday win at Vanderbilt and what is and isn't working for the Vols as the postseason nears.
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Feb 22, 2021
Hoops frustration, football staff, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan discuss a lot of stuff — hoops frustration, football staff news, recruiting, a hot baseball start and much more. Up The Palace.
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Feb 18, 2021
VJ and The Incredible Fulk return
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss John Fulkerson and Victor Bailey Jr. returning to form and leading the No. 19 Vols to a boat-racing of South Carolina, and what's next.
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Feb 15, 2021
Big football hires, Ty Simpson, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss big additions to Tennessee's football staff, the recruitment of elite QB prospect Ty Simpson and much more.
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Feb 11, 2021
Heupel working to finalize first Tennessee staff
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Josh Heupel's efforts to finalize his first football staff at Tennessee and why that hasn't been an easy process.
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Feb 8, 2021
Ho-hum. Vols win again at Rupp.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the 16th-ranked Tennessee basketball team getting back on track with its third win at Kentucky's Rupp Arena in four years.
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Feb 4, 2021
Talking Vols, SEC hoops with Rob Dauster
GoVols247's Wes Rucker speaks with Field of 68 founder Rob Dauster about all things Tennessee, SEC and college hoops heading toward the postseason.
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Feb 3, 2021
Vols National Signing Day recap
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss where things stand for new Tennessee coach Josh Heupel after two additions on National Signing Day.
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Feb 1, 2021
Rock Chalk Blowout. Vols are back.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Birthday Boy Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee basketball's statement blowout of Kansas and the latest with Josh Heupel's football staff.
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Jan 27, 2021
Josh Heupel Time in Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's Wednesday hire of UCF's Josh Heupel as its new head football coach.
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Jan 21, 2021
Vols make big AD hire. Football coach next.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's big hire of athletic director Danny White from UCF and what that means for the Vols' search for a head football coach.
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Jan 18, 2021
Pruitt fired, Fulmer leaving. So ... yeah.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee's decision to fire football coach Jeremy Pruitt and party ways with athletic director Phillip Fulmer. So, you know, a casual Monday.
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Jan 12, 2021
Vols hire Kevin Steele. What's that mean?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee adding Kevin Steele (for a bargain price) to its football staff and a weird few days for the 10th-ranked Vols hoops team.
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Jan 7, 2021
Vols add big QB transfer; hoops gets sorted
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss former Virginia Tech starting quarterback Hendon Hooker transferring to Tennessee, and the No. 9 Vols basketball team getting back to its winning ways.
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Jan 4, 2021
Football questions continue, hoops stumbles
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey discuss the continuing uncertainty surrounding Tennessee football's coaching situation, an upset loss for the No. 9 Tennessee hoops team and more.
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Dec 31, 2020
Vols maul Mizzou, send SEC message
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey talk No. 7 Tennessee opening SEC play with a statement blowout of No. 12 Mizzou on the Tigers' home floor, and discuss the state of Vols football.
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Dec 28, 2020
Uncertainty for Vols football; SEC hoops preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the cloud of uncertainty hanging over Tennessee football heading into the offseason and the excitement of SEC play starting for the unbeaten, sixth-ranked Tennessee basketball team.
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Dec 16, 2020
Dissecting Vols' Early Signing Day
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown where things stand for Tennessee football after Wednesday's start to the Early Signing Period.
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Dec 14, 2020
Vols Early Signing Period preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss some pertinent Tennessee football team news before clearing the deck for a preview of Vols recruiting heading into this week's Early Signing Period.
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Dec 13, 2020
A Saturday that didn't suck for Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey discuss a Tennessee basketball win (over Cincinnati) and Tennessee football win (over Vanderbilt) occurring on the same day.
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Dec 10, 2020
Vols-Vandy: Game of the Century
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan preview the upcoming Game of the Century between Tennessee (2-6) and Vandy (0-8) and much more, especially Tennessee recruiting heading into the Early Signing Period.
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Dec 9, 2020
No. 12 Vols top Colorado in opener
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the 12th-ranked Tennessee basketball team's season-opening win over Colorado on Tuesday in Thompson-Boling Arena.
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Dec 7, 2020
Atlanta-area lineman commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's Monday commitment from Amari McNeill, a two-way lineman from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Ga.
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Dec 6, 2020
New QBs, same Tennessee in loss to Florida
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown pick over the bones from Tennessee's 31-19 loss to No. 6 Florida at Neyland Stadium.
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Dec 3, 2020
Vols-Gators, COVID, Bennett dismissal, hoops
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey preview Saturday's Tennessee-Florida game and discuss COVID updates, the dismissal of Kivon Bennett, Vols basketball and more.
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Nov 30, 2020
COVID limiting Vols to start Florida week
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss the impact COVID-19 is making on Tennessee heading into this week's game against sixth-ranked Florida and start previewing the game itself.
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Nov 27, 2020
Vols football scheduling, recruiting updates
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the possibilities for Tennessee's remaining 2020 football schedule, the Vols' 2021 recruiting class heading into the Early Signing Period and much more.
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Nov 25, 2020
Reasons to be thankful in 2020. Let's try.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss struggling Tennessee being forced into another open date following the SEC postponing Saturday's visit to Vanderbilt. Is there any reason to be thankful in 2020 at this point? Let's try.
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Nov 23, 2020
Vols hoops pausing after Barnes, others test positive for COVID-19
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss Tennessee basketball pausing team activities Monday — two days before the scheduled season opener — after Rick Barnes and others in the program tested positive for COVID-19.
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Nov 22, 2020
Vols collapse late in loss at Auburn
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan pick over the bones from Tennessee's latest second-half collapse — this one resulting in a 30-17 loss at No. 23 Auburn — and discuss where the Vols go from here.
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Nov 21, 2020
Nation's top JUCO RB re-commits to Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss a huge development in Tennessee's 2021 recruiting class — the nation's top junior college running back prospect, Tiyon Evans, re-committing to the Vols.
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Nov 19, 2020
Vols-Auburn preview, Fulmer extension, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the Tennessee-Auburn game, Phillip Fulmer's contract extension, NBA Vols on the move and much more.
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Nov 16, 2020
Auburn, Salarygate, Muschamp, etc.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's upcoming game at Auburn, the fiasco surrounding salary reductions in the COVID era, South Carolina's firing of Will Muschamp and more.
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Nov 12, 2020
Football (ugh), hoops (yay), mailbag
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the bad vibes around Tennessee football, the good vibes around Tennessee basketball and then open up the mailbag to answer listener questions.
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Nov 9, 2020
Can Tennessee fix this mess in 2020?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss some Tennessee and COVID news before diving into a discussion on whether the Vols have a chance to fix their current mess in this calendar year.
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Nov 8, 2020
STOP THE COUNT! Vols collapse late at Arkansas.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan attempt to make sense of Tennessee's incredible third-quarter meltdown that led to a 24-13 loss at Arkansas.
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Nov 5, 2020
Vols sailing USS Guarantano to Arkansas
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's decision to stick with quarterback Jarrett Guarantano for Saturday's important game at Arkansas and preview the Vols/Hogs matchup.
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Nov 2, 2020
Vols/Hogs 2020
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan kickoff Tennessee-Arkansas week with a discussion on why this game looks so much tougher than most predicted weeks ago.
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Oct 29, 2020
Vols football midseason mailbag
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss a few news nuggets before clearing the floor for questions submitted by GoVols247 subscribers on The CheckerBoard.
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Oct 26, 2020
Reassessing Vols football at midway mark
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan put a bow on Tennessee's loss to second-ranked Alabama over the weekend before opening the floor for discussion on where these Vols are at the midway point of the 2020 season.
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Oct 24, 2020
Vols fall again to Bama. What now?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Tennessee's 48-17 loss to second-ranked Alabama at Neyland Stadium and what's next for the Vols heading into their only open date of the season.
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Oct 22, 2020
Third Saturday in Funtober with Tim Watts
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan talk Tennessee's upcoming game against Alabama and much more with good friend Tim Watts of BamaOnLine.
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Oct 21, 2020
Talking Vols-Tide with Travis Reier
GoVols247's Wes Rucker is joined by BamaOnLine's Travis Reier to discuss Saturday's annual Third Saturday in October clash between Tennessee and second-ranked Alabama.
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Oct 19, 2020
New DL coach? Check. New QB? No clue.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee's surprising dismissal of defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh after just four games and whether a new starting quarterback will be the next big move.
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Oct 17, 2020
WTH was that, Vols? And WTH happens now?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown (try to) dissect No. 18 Tennessee's shocking 34-7 loss to Kentucky on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
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Oct 15, 2020
Beer Barrel chatter with CatPause's Derek Terry
GoVols247's Wes Rucker sits down with Derek Terry from 247Sports' CatsPause to discuss Saturday's Tennessee-Kentucky game at Neyland Stadium.
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Oct 15, 2020
Atlanta-area athlete commits to Tennessee
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan discuss the newest member of Tennessee's 2021 recruiting class — Christian Charles, a versatile athlete from the Atlanta are who will play defensive back for the Vols.
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Oct 12, 2020
Vols (still with Guarantano) turn focus to UK
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan discuss Tennessee picking up the pieces from the collapse at Georgia and turning its focus to Kentucky. And, yes, Jarrett Guarantano is still the Vols' quarterback.
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Oct 11, 2020
Vols collapse late in loss at Georgia. What now?
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss No. 14 Tennessee's 44-21 loss at No. 3 Georgia on Saturday at Sanford Stadium. The Vols had the lead entering the second half, but then things went from bad to worse to even worse to just plain gross.
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Oct 8, 2020
Tennessee-Georgia preview from both sides
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Dawgs247's Rusty Mansell discuss Saturday's SEC East showdown between 14th-ranked Tennessee and third-ranked Georgia in Athens.
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Oct 5, 2020
Can Vols really compete with Georgia? Maybe.
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey discuss whether No. 14 Tennessee can actually compete with No. 4 Georgia in Saturday's showdown at Sanford Stadium. Some answers might surprise you.
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Oct 3, 2020
Vols mash Mizzou, 35-12
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss 20th-ranked Tennessee's 35-12 win over Mizzou in Saturday's home opener and start looking at next week's showdown at fourth-ranked Georgia.
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Oct 1, 2020
Vols (with Cade Mays) ready for Mizzou
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan discuss addition of now-eligible Cade Mays to Tennessee's offensive line, the Vols' upcoming home opener against Missouri, recruiting and much more.
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Sep 28, 2020
Vols move on to Mizzou in Week Two
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown wrap up Tennessee's thrilling, season-opening win at South Carolina and discuss the Vols' hopes of playing smoother in Week Two against Mizzou at Neyland Stadium.
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Sep 27, 2020
Vols outlast South Carolina in wild opener
GoVols247's full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — discusses No. 16 Tennessee's wild, season-opening 31-27 win at South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium. Good. Bad. Ugly. Weird. That game had it all.
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Sep 24, 2020
Pruitt contract extended, Vols-Gamecocks preview
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey discuss the two-year contract extension and raise Tennessee gave football coach Jeremy Pruitt on Thursday and then break down the Vols' Saturday season opener at South Carolina.
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Sep 21, 2020
Vols-Gamecocks week begins
GoVols247's Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan celebrate the long-awaited return of a Tennessee football game week and discuss news and notes about Saturday's trip to South Carolina.
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Sep 17, 2020
Cade Mays one step closer to playing in 2020
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Thursday's news that Knoxville's own Cade Mays is now one step closer to being cleared to play for the Vols in 2020. A Thursday chat with Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt is included, as well.
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Sep 14, 2020
Tennessee seniors fired up for new season
GoVols247's Wes Rucker offers a brief news update before clearing the deck for interviews with three Tennessee seniors — wide receiver Brandon Johnson, kicker Brent Cimaglia and running back Ty Chandler.
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Sep 10, 2020
Vols battling COVID, lower-case-T tigers
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown replay every second of Jeremy Pruitt's Thursday night interview and discuss what it means. COVID-19, Cade Mays and lower-case-T tigers included.
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Sep 8, 2020
Top-50 wing from California picks Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey break down the newest elite hoops prospect to commit to Tennessee — 6-foot-5 wing Jahmai Mashack from Rancho Cucamonga, California. Mashask is the No. 43 overall prospect in the 2021 class.
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Sep 6, 2020
Guarantano talks past, present, future at Tennessee
Three Tennessee seniors — including quarterback Jarrett Guarantano — open up about the past, present and future of their careers in Knoxville.
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Sep 5, 2020
COVID throwing wrench into Vols' plans
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss the COVID-19 quarantine issues impacting nearly 50 Tennessee players in preseason camp and turning Saturday's scrimmage into a regular practice. Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt discusses the issue, as well.
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Sep 4, 2020
Vols beat Bama for big O-line prospect
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan break down Tennessee's newest commitment — big Nashville offensive lineman William Parker, who chose the Vols over Alabama on Friday afternoon.
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Aug 31, 2020
Mammoth local lineman commits to Vols
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan break down Tennessee's newest commitment — 6-foot-8, 350-pound local offensive lineman J'Marion Gooch from The King's Academy.
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Aug 29, 2020
Pruitt talks COVID, QBs, more; plus Barnes chat
Let's go right to the top. Hear the latest on Tennessee football, COVID-19, quarterbacks and more from Jeremy Pruitt, and hear the latest on all things Tennessee basketball from Rick Barnes.
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Aug 28, 2020
COVID pausing Vols' preseason camp
GoVols247's Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown discuss Jeremy Pruitt's decision to pause Tennessee's preseason camp after an unspecified number of positive COVID-19 tests, and what that means for the near and longterm future. Quarterbacks and other newsy items are discussed, as well.
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Aug 22, 2020
Tennessee players talk preseason camp, COVID, etc.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker went into Fort Rucker Studio to give a quick introduction on some recent Tennessee news before getting out of way and giving the floor to three of the Vols’ best players to hear their thoughts on things heading into an unusual 2020 season.
Sophomore linebacker Henry To’o To’o, sophomore running back Eric Gray and senior center Brandon Kennedy had plenty to say on plenty of interesting topics, and full interviews with all three players are included in this two-segment episode.
It’s been a bizarre year for everyone, and all three Tennessee stars had plenty to discuss.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Sunday, unless breaking news occurs before that point.
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Aug 18, 2020
Vols' schedule released, camp begins, big news
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a Monday full of huge news for Tennessee football.
Tennessee’s newly-released, SEC-only 2020 schedule, the Vols’ start to preseason camp, some big roster updates, a new commitment and much more were discussed in this two-segment episode full of news.
COVID-19 to this point hasn’t postponed SEC football in 2020, and the conference on Monday released its adjusted schedule. That schedule will look a lot different for Tennessee, which now opens the season Sept. 26 at South Carolina and ends the regular season Dec. 5 against Florida — yes, THAT Florida — at Neyland Stadium. After getting arguably a raw deal with the additions of Auburn and Texas A&M to the schedule, the Vols were dealt some better breaks with the dates on the full schedule, and reasons for that assessment are discussed in detail in the first segment of this episode.
Plenty of news was crammed into t…
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Aug 14, 2020
Five-star point guard commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star point guard Kennedy Chandler’s commitment to Tennessee.
Chandler, the nation’s No. 11 overall prospect and No. 1 point guard prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, is a Memphis native who recently transferred to play his senior season at powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kan. He could have played anywhere but ultimately chose the Vols over Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and hometown Memphis — who will be especially irked to lose a five-star Memphian to the hated Vols?
Why did Chandler pick Tennessee? Who helped him make that decision? How could Chandler’s game best be described? How has Rick Barnes turned Tennessee into a place where so many five-star prospects want to play? How has assistant coach Kim English already established himself as an elite recruiter? And perhaps most importantly, which elite prospects across the nation migh…
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Aug 13, 2020
Vols still planning to play in 2020. Plus mailbag.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s desire to play football this fall and answer tailback questions from Vols fans across the world.
The Big Ten and Pac-12 announced earlier this week that they were suspending football this fall in light of the worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but the other three Power 5 conferences — including the SEC — are still moving ahead and trying to play. Tennessee and the rest of the SEC is scheduled to start the season Sept. 26. Is that still a realistic goal? Where is the disconnect between college football’s most powerful leagues on this issue? That’s the main point of discussion in the first segment, but there’s also some discussion on Tennessee basketball recruiting after the Vols offered another 2022 prospect from Knoxville Catholic High School — 7-footer Handje Tamba.
As usual on Thursday episodes, a mailbag was featured in the second segment of thi…
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Aug 10, 2020
Impact of Big Ten madness on Vols, SEC, NCAA
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from an undisclosed location) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss confusing reports questioning whether the Big Ten still plans to play football this fall, and the impact of those reports on Tennessee, the SEC and all of college football.
Just days after announcing its conference-only 2020 schedule, the Big Ten appears to be considering a quick about-face and postponing the season. Reports Monday morning indicated that the Big Ten voted 12-2 to postpone the season, with Nebraska and Iowa serving as the voices of dissent. Then several Big Ten coaches publicly insisted that they and their teams still wanted to play this season, and a Big Ten spokesperson then claimed the conference hadn’t held a final vote on the matter.
So … yeah. Good luck making heads or tails from that.
What is happening in the Big Ten, and what impact will that have on Tennessee, the SEC and the rest of college football?…
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Aug 7, 2020
SEC adds two tough foes to Vols' schedule
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Auburn and Texas A&M being added to Tennessee’s 2020 football schedule.
The SEC on Friday night announced the two new league opponents for every team in the league, and Tennessee inarguably got one of the tougher draws. The Vols were given a road game at Auburn and a visit from from Texas A&M. Auburn is ranked No. 11 in the preseason coaches’ poll, and Texas A&M is ranked No. 13.
Why did the SEC decide to tinker with the schedule as opposed to just fast-forwarding the rotation that was already in place? Why didn’t the league just have a random lottery drawing? Who are the league's winners and losers in this deal? How tough will those matchups be for Tennessee? Was this scheduling news a good thing, a bad thing or both for the Vols? Those are the primary topics discussed in this one-segment, breaking-news episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless…
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Aug 6, 2020
Vols (barely) left out of preseason coaches' poll
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee being the first team outside the preseason coaches’ poll, which was released Thursday afternoon.
The Vols (and Boise State) were the first teams left out of the poll, coming in just behind No. 24 Virginia Tech and No. 25 Iowa State.
Should the Vols have been in the poll after winning their final six games last season? Should that streak have given the Vols more respect heading into the season? Does any of that even matter? Those are the main points of discussion on this episode, though some other recruiting and schedule items are discussed, as well.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later in the week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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Aug 4, 2020
Top-100 Florida DB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Ryan Callahan convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss top-100 prospect Damarius McGhee’s commitment to Tennessee and other recent development for the Vols on the trail.
McGhee, a 6-foot-1 cornerback from Pensacola, Fla., is the No. 89 overall prospect in 247Sports’ 2021 recruiting rankings, and he’s been near the top of Tennessee’s board for a while. The Vols identified him early and offered him 12 months ago, well before some of college football’s other blue bloods jumped on board. That clearly meant a lot to McGhee, who chose the Vols over a long and impressive list of suitors.
What kind of prospect is McGhee? Is he quick enough to stay at cornerback despite his 6-foot-1 frame? Is it slender frame any kind of a concern? How is Tennessee able to identify so many prospects so quickly, and how important has that been to the Vols’ recruiting success in the Jeremy Pruitt era? Those are the main points of discussion in the first s…
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Aug 3, 2020
Vols' Pons returning for senior season
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the importance of Yves Pons’ decision to return to Tennessee for his senior season.
Pons, the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, initially declared for the NBA Draft before reversing course Monday night and choosing to return for his senior season with the Vols.
What was already a championship-contending roster suddenly looks even stronger. Pons’ return makes a sturdy crop of returning players even stronger, and Tennessee just enrolled one of the nation’s top recruiting classes to bolster it.
How close was Pons to remaining in the draft? Why did he choose to come back? What does that return mean for Tennessee’s rotation? How many more options will the Vols have now, assuming everyone stays healthy? What can Pons do as a senior to improve his stock heading into the 2021 draft? Those are the primary points of discussion in this one-segment, breaking-news episode.
The next G…
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Aug 3, 2020
What will Vols' SEC-only schedule look like?
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the possibilities for Tennessee football’s SEC-only 202 schedule.
After monitoring the latest COVID-19 updates and delaying the decision as long as it could, the SEC finally followed a trend set by the Big 10 and PAC-12 and chose to go with a conference-only schedule for the 2020 season. What was a 12-game mixed schedule will now be a 10-game conference-only schedule for Tennessee and the SEC’s other 13 programs, and it won’t start earlier than Sept. 26.
Who will Tennessee’s two new SEC opponents be this season? Will the eight league games already on the schedule be played as scheduled, or will have they have to be moved? How will the SEC find its desired “fair and equitable” solution to the situation? And perhaps most importantly, will the revised schedule be played at all? Those are the primary points of discussion in this episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will…
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Jul 30, 2020
Vols schedule ranking, recruiting updates, etc.
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Jul 27, 2020
Marlins situation a canary in CFB coal mine?
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to kickoff the week with a discussion on how much concern there should be about college football after an outbreak of coronavirus has thrown a wrench into Major League Baseball.
The first segment of this episode features a quick discussion on some recent Tennessee football and basketball news. There’s good news (Yves Pons making the cut for players who could be invited to the upcoming NBA Combine) and bad news (two former Vols football players being cut by the same NFL team, plus another former Vols football player being placed on COVID-19 injury reserve) in that discussion.
COVID-19 becomes the sole topic in the second segment of this episode. News emerged Monday that at least 13 Miami Marlins (and perhaps more) have tested positive for coronavirus, causing the postponement of two separate MLB games Monday…
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Jul 23, 2020
Henry To'o To'o hype, mailbag, etc.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the hype surrounding Tennessee sophomore linebacker Henry To’o To’o and answer mailbag questions from GoVols247’s CheckerBoard and social media accounts.
Some quick updates on Tennessee football’s updated workout schedule and discussion on several Vols on preseason watch lists dominates the first segment of this episode. Much of the watch list discussion is focused on linebacker Henry To’o To’o — the only sophomore in college football to be placed on the preseason watch lists for the Bednarik Trophy, the Nagurski Trophy and the Butkus Award. The Bednarik and Nagurski are awarded each year to the best defensive player in college football, while the Butkus is awarded each year to the best linebacker in college football.
Is To’o To’o really going to match this level of hype? Or is that too much hype to place on a sophomore with so many responsibilities in th…
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Jul 21, 2020
Vols hoops NBA, COVID, recruiting chatter
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss several Tennessee basketball topics.
The first segment of this episode is focused on Tennessee’s current roster. Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year Yves Pons still hasn’t decided whether to return to school for his senior season, and it’s not clear when he plans to do that, but he’s currently working out with the team and there’s plenty to discuss on that front.
As for the rest of the team, everyone but sophomore guard Santiago Vescovi (who’s still at home in Uruguay) is back on campus for workouts, which means the two unnamed players who tested positive for COVID-19 have cleared quarantine and been approved for action. Some discussion on the virus and its impact on college basketball scheduling rounds out the first segment.
Recruiting takes center stage in the second segment of this episode. And there’s plenty to discuss there, with Tennessee trending in a big way f…
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Jul 20, 2020
The latest on COVID, transfers, recruiting
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan (from his house) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to kickoff the week with a discussion on several pertinent topics.
The first segment of this episode starts with (of course) and update on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on college football heading into the 2020 season, and it wraps up with discussion on the loss of reserve safety Brandon Davis to the NCAA transfer portal. The reasons for Davis’ exit and its impact on the team is discussed in detail.
Segment Two starts with a quick update on Tennessee basketball recruiting (there’s big news there) before settling into a detailed discussion on Vols football recruiting. Tennessee still has one of the nation’s best classes, and some really big prospects — including multiple five-star prospects — are still on the board.
A quick discussion on where things stand for the Vols at tight end following the latest injury to senior starter Austin Pope wraps up t…
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Jul 17, 2020
Vols' feel-good summer suffers rough week
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a week with a trifecta of rough news for a Tennessee program that had previously enjoyed a feel-good summer.
Rough news began in the middle of the week, when it was revealed that multiple Tennessee student-athletes in multiple sports — including football — had tested positive for COVID-19. None of the 91 Tennessee football players on campus had tested positive in the first round of tests last month, but the tests after the July 4 holiday weekend revealed a different story. Specific numbers weren’t given, either, which on the surface sounded a bit ominous. Conversations with people in the program have revealed that it’s not a horrible situation at this point, though, so the first segment of this episode is focused on putting that news in perspective.
The second segment of this episode is focused on the fallout from this week’s news that Tennessee senior starting tight end Aust…
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Jul 13, 2020
What would SEC-only schedule mean for Vols?
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Patrick Brown (from his new but also disclosed location) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the possibility of the SEC adjusting to a conference-only schedule this season, and what that would mean specifically for Tennessee.
The Big Ten last week became the first Power-5 conference to abandon non-conference play on account of the ongoing worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and the Pac-12 followed suit a bit later in the week.
As of Monday morning, though, the other three Power-5 leagues — the SEC, ACC and Big 12 — haven’t announced any major changes.
If we’re being real with each other, though, the fact is things are trending toward the other three Power-5 leagues following that same formula, and there are many logical reasons for doing that. The first segment of this episode is an explanation of those reasons,…
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Jul 9, 2020
Vols' 20 most important players in 2020
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s most important players heading into the 2020 season, as well as the latest on the COVID-19 pandemic that’s still threatening that season.
The first segment of this episode is the consistently necessary update on where things stand with COVID-19 in the college football world. Things clearly aren’t trending in the right direction at the moment, and the Ivy League announced on Wednesday that it was suspending all fall sports and wouldn’t even consider playing any sport until Jan. 1. The Ivy League is a Division I FCS conference in football, but it’s worth remembering this is the same league that started the suspension dominos rolling back in the spring, as well. Where things stand in the SEC — specifically for Tennessee — is the primary discussion point in the first segment.
Football itself is the sole discussion point in the second episode. Pat recently finished…
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Jul 7, 2020
Vols still COVID free, season still uncertain
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan — convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football, COVID-19, recruiting and much more.
COVID-19 and its impact on the 2020 football season is the primary discussion point in the first segment of this episode. As of Tuesday morning, Tennessee hasn’t confirmed a single positive coronavirus test from any of its players, but the Vols seem to be the exception rather than the norm at this point, and there are serious questions about the 2020 season — whether it will be played as usual, played without fans in the stands, played with reduced numbers of fans in the stands, shortened or even moved to the spring. The NCAA and SEC haven’t said much to this point, but we’re getting closer to the late July range — the time SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and others have mentioned as a target to make serious decisions.
After a full discussion on where things stand with the Vols,…
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Jun 15, 2020
Four-star TE picks Vols over Ohio State
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan (from his house) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star tight end Hudson Wolfe’s commitment to Tennessee.
Wolfe, the nation’s No. 225 overall prospect and No. 9 tight end prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, chose Tennessee over Ohio State despite the Buckeyes arguably being his leader for much of the process.
The Buckeyes, who have the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, and the Vols, who have the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class, fought to add Wolfe into the mix, but the 6-foot-6, 240-pound West Tennessee native ultimately chose the in in-state Vols.
What kind of prospect is Wolfe? How does he fit into the Vols’ plans? Will be able to stay at the tight end spot as a big, in-line tight end? How did Tennessee rally and close the deal? What does this commitment mean for the numbers in Tennessee’s crowded class? Since Wolfe is just the third in-state commitment to this cl…
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Jun 8, 2020
The Vols are back (on campus)
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to give an update on all things Tennessee football. And most of that news is good news.
After a quick discussion on the status of senior running back Tim Jordan following an off-field incident his native Florida, the focus shifts to the sunnier side and stays there for the rest of the episode.
Veterans started arriving back on campus last week, and newcomers arrived over the weekend, meaning approximately 90 members of the Tennessee football team are back on campus for workouts. The newcomers have arrived just two weeks later than initial plans before the outbreak of the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. There’s a protocol in place for monitoring the players during their time on campus and in the facility, and there are plans in place in case any of them test positive for the virus. Workouts will be structured differently, and housing accommodation has been tweaked, but the bottom line…
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May 22, 2020
Jumbo Alabama athlete commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) and Patrick Brown (from an undisclosed location) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss jumbo Alabama athlete Trinity Bell’s Friday commitment to Tennessee.
The 6-foot-7, 260-pound Bell, who plays at Albertville High School in Albertville, N.C., adds another versatile athlete to a Tennessee class that already has several Swiss Army Knife players.
What kind of prospect is Bell? What positions on which side of the ball could he play at Tennessee, and how will he need to change his body in order to play those spots? Do the benefits to adding so many versatile athletes in a class outweigh the risks of signing so many players without defined positions? How has Tennessee tight ends coach Joe Osovet been able to hit the ground running so quickly in his first season recruiting on the road? Those are the main topics of discussion in this episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episod…
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May 21, 2020
4-star North Carolina athlete commits to Vols
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star North Carolina athlete Kaemen Marley’s Wednesday commitment to Tennessee.
The 6-foot-2, 206-pound Marley, who plays at Eastern Randolph High School in Ramseur, N.C., adds another versatile athlete to a Tennessee class that already has several Swiss Army Knife players.
What kind of prospect is Marley? What positions on which side of the ball could he play at Tennessee, and how will he need to change his body in order to play those spots? Is Marley’s relative lack of competition at his small school an issue? How important has it been for Tennessee to get back into North Carolina in a big way? How much of a help has Jay Graham been in that process? Those are the main topics of discussion in this episode.
This week’s first GoVols247 Podcast episode — an episode breaking down touted Atlanta-area tight end Miles Campbell’s commitment to Tennessee — can be found HERE.…
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May 18, 2020
Georgia tight end commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan convened via the Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Atlanta-area tight end Miles Campbell’s commitment to Tennessee.
The 6-foot-3, 234-pound Campbell has nearly 30 offers but chose the Vols over Florida State and many others.
What kind of prospect is Campbell? What kind of a tight end does he project to be at the college level? Can he develop into an all-around tight end, or will he remain more of a pass catcher at that spot? How many more tight ends will Tennessee hope to sign in this cycle after not getting any for-sure tight ends (some could move there) in the 2020 cycle? Those are the main points of discussion in this breaking-news episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later in the week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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May 10, 2020
Elite Texas QB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown — convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss top-100 quarterback Kaidon Salter’s Sunday commitment to Tennessee.
Salter — the nation’s No. 88 overall prospect and No. 4 dual-threat quarterback prospect, according to the analysts at 247Sports — chose the Vols over a long list of offers.
What kind of prospect is Salter? Is he a thrower who can run, a runner who can throw or both of those things? Where was he on Tennessee’s big board? How important is it to sign at least one quarterback every year? What does his commitment mean for a Tennessee recruiting class that’s getting bigger and bigger? Those are the main points of discussion in this breaking-news episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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May 10, 2020
Top247 Baltimore LB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown — convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 Maryland linebacker linebacker Aaron Willis’ Sunday commitment to Tennessee.
The Vols stayed crazy hot on the trail by adding their second elite player from powerhouse St. Frances Academy in two days, and their third in the past two years.
What kind of prospect is Willis? Where does he fit into the plans for Tennessee’s defense? Is he potentially a plug-and-play type? What does his commitment mean for Tennessee’s class moving forward? Those are the primary points of discussion in this episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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May 9, 2020
Top247 Baltimore DL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan and Patrick Brown — convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 Maryland defensive lineman KaTron Evans’ Saturday commitment to Tennessee.
Evans — the nation’s No. 179 overall prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite — chose Tennessee over a list of at least 40 other offers, including some of the top programs in the current college landscape.
What kind of prospect is the 6-foot-4, 320-pound Evans? Is he definitely a nose guard, or can he play other spots up front? How important is the pipeline Tennessee is building to national powerhouse St. Frances Academy in Baltimore? What does this addition mean for the rest of Tennessee’s class, especially along the defensive front? What’s next for the red-hot Vols on the recruiting trail? Those are the primary points of discussion in this breaking-news episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday, unless major break…
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May 5, 2020
Tennessee: The new 'it' program in recruiting?
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Grant Ramey, Ryan Callahan, and Patrick Brown convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the ridiculous run of commitments that took Tennessee from No. 17 to No. 2 nationally in 247Sports Team Recruiting rankings in just nine days.
Five-star edge rusher Dylan Brooks got the party started with his somewhat unexpected commitment to the Vols, and the rest is history. After eight commitments in nine days, the Vols now sit behind only Ohio State in the national rankings.
After spending the past two weeks discussing the individual trees, this episode takes a step back and discusses the forest. How did Tennessee get this done? How much longer can this heater last? Where do the Vols go from there? Those are the main questions discussed in this episode — the first episode we’ve ever done as a full staff from four separate locations, so bear with us as we work out these quarantine kinks.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Friday, u…
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May 4, 2020
Top247 North Carolina OL commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan convened via Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 offensive lineman Colby Smith's commitment to Tennessee.
A torrid stretch of eight commitments in nine days has pushed Tennessee into the No. 2 spot nationally in the 247Sports Team Recruiting rankings, but this episode primarily focuses on the newest addition to the class.
What kind of prospect is Smith? How did Tennessee turn a kid who admittedly grew up a North Carolina fan? Does Smith definitely project at offensive tackle moving forward? How much development will he need before getting in the mix to play? What does his addition mean for the rest of Tennessee’s O-line recruiting plans in this cycle? Which prospects might jump into the boat next? Those are the primary discussion points in this episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Tuesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho…
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May 3, 2020
Top247 RB commits to surging Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Top247 running back Cody Brown’s commitment to Tennessee.
The Vols have been on an absolute bender in the past week, adding seven commitments — all from touted prospects with big offers — and surging into the No. 3 spot nationally in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings.
Again, it’s tough to keep up with torrid Tennessee on the trail these days, but this episode nonetheless touches on tons of topics in only one, easily-digestible segment.
What kind of prospect is Brown? Where does he fit into the future of Tennessee’s backfield? Is Tennessee finally getting the kind of running backs Jeremy Pruitt and his staff wanted from the beginning? How are the Vols staying so ridiculously hot on the recruiting trail? Who might be the next to jump into…
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May 3, 2020
BREAKING: Another touted Florida DB picks Vols
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss touted Florida safety De’Shawn Rucker’s commitment to Tennessee.
The Vols have been on an absolute bender in the past week, adding six commitments — all from touted prospects with big offers — and surging into the No. 3 spot nationally in the 247Sports Team Recruiting Rankings.
It’s tough to keep up with torrid Tennessee on the trail these days, but this episode nonetheless touches on tons of topics in only one, easily-digestible segment.
What kind of prospect is Rucker? Does he project as more of a safety or a versatile player in the Tennessee secondary? How did the Vols convince him to pick them despite an offer sheet that included Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, the Big Three in Florida and many, many more? How in the world has Tennessee do…
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Apr 30, 2020
BREAKING: Five-star Florida LB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star South Florida linebacker Terrence Lewis' commitment to Tennessee.
Lewis, the nation’s No. 10 overall prospect and No. 1 outside linebacker prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, became the fourth elite prospect to commit to Tennessee in an absolutely wild recruiting week for Jeremy Pruitt and his program.
There’s plenty of things to squeeze into this one-segment episode, but that’s what was done.
How in the world did Tennessee get this hot during the COVID-19 quarantine period? What kind of prospect is Lewis? Where does Lewis project positionally at Tennessee? How much is peer recruiting helping the Vols at the moment? Where could things be going now in this class? Will some prospects feel the need to try getting a…
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Apr 28, 2020
'20 NFL Draft review, '21 NFL Draft preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the 2020 NFL Draft that was and the 2021 NFL Draft would be as they related to the Vols.
It wasn’t supposed to be a big draft for the Vols in 2020, especially after star offensive lineman Trey Smith chose to return to school for his senior season, and it definitely wasn’t a big draft. Two Vols came off the board, though, with edge rusher Darrell Taylor going to the Seattle Seahawks in the second round and wide receiver Jauan Jennings going to the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round.
Several more Vols were quickly snatched up as free agents after the draft, though, with wide receiver Marquez Callaway going to the New Orleans Saints, safety Nigel Warrior going to the Baltimore Ravens and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson joining Taylor in Seattle. Another former Tennessee star — inside linebacker Daniel Bitul…
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Apr 28, 2020
BREAKING: Four-star Georgia receiver commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star wide receiver Julian Nixon’s commitment to Tennessee.
The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Nixon has been a big-time prospect since early in his career at Centennial High School in Roswell, Ga., but he claimed to choose Tennessee over Ohio State and Georgia. Auburn was a factor for much of his recruitment, as well, and for a while the Tigers seemed to be the team to beat. Ultimately, though, the No. 238 overall player in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite chose the Vols.
Nixon became the Vols’ third high-profile commitment in three days, joining five star-edge rusher Dylan Brooks (who committed to Sunday) and four-star safety Kamar Wilcoxson (who committed to Monday) as the newest additions to a Tennessee class that has soared from No. 17 to No. 5 nationall…
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Apr 27, 2020
BREAKING: Four-star DB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss four-star defensive back Kamar Wilcoxson’s commitment to Tennessee.
Wilcoxson, the nation’s No. 14 safety prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, de-committed from Florida twice during the process before choosing Tennessee on Monday. He had more than 30 offers and chose the Vols over the likes of Alabama, Ohio State and, of course, Florida.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Wilcoxson is an Atlanta-area native who recently transferred to powerhouse IMG Academy in Florida in order to help him transition more smoothly to the college level, but the work he did back home was plenty good enough to get offers from the best programs in college football.
What kind of a prospect is Wilcoxson? Does he project as a safety, a cornerback, a nickel or perhaps all of the…
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Apr 26, 2020
BREAKING: Five-star Bama defender picks Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star Alabama edge rusher Dylan Brooks’ commitment to Tennessee.
Brooks, the nation’s No. 18 overall prospect in the 2021 industry-generated 247Sports Composite, could have committed anywhere, but the top-ranked player in Alabama chose Tennessee over in-state powers Alabama and Auburn, reigning national champion LSU and others.
A decision like this will send shockwaves across the college football landscape, and there’s so much to discuss.
Since this was a breaking-news episode, though, there wasn’t much time in which to discuss it. So a lot of topics were including in rapid-fire succession.
How did Tennessee pull off this coup? Why didn’t Brooks choose Alabama, Auburn or LSU? What does this say about Jeremy Pruitt and his staff? Why has T…
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Apr 16, 2020
Analyst high on Pons' NBA potential, 2020-21 Vols
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and NBCSports’ college basketball writer Rob Dauster (from his home in the Washington D.C. area) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss where one Tennessee senior and perhaps one Tennessee junior could play at the next level, and where things stand for Rick Barnes’ program heading into the 2020-21 season.
Dauster seems to higher than most analysts on the potential NBA future of Tennessee junior Yves Pons, the newly minted SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Pons still hasn’t announced an intention to declare for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent, but there’s no reason to believe he’d do anything else. Every college player is allowed to do that one time but still return to school as long as they don’t hire an agent, and Pons is a junior, so it makes sense to at least test the waters.
While some remain on the fence of skeptical of Pons’ professional future, at least in this country, Dauster sees things…
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Apr 15, 2020
Vols Offseason Checklist: Secondary
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss an offseason checklist of sorts for Tennessee’s quarterbacks and wide receivers.
The secondary at Tennessee has always been a well-coached group under head coach Jeremy Pruitt and defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley, and the Vols return plenty of experience from last season.
Segment No. 1 of this episode focuses on Tennessee’s deep cornerback spots. That group — led by junior star Bryce Thompson — has the potential to become one of the SEC’s best in 2020, if junior Alontae Taylor, sophomore Warren Burrell, senior Kenneth George Jr. and others take a step forward.
A strong finish last season from Shawn Shamburger helped Tennessee solidify the crucial nickel spot in the secondary, and Shamburger will return for his senior season to give the Vols another important piece of the puzzle. Some discuss…
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Apr 13, 2020
Mailbag: All things Vols' past, present, future
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to respond to several questions from Tennessee fans on GoVols247’s CheckerBoard and social media.
Perhaps it doesn’t seem like there’s much happening in the sports world at the moment, but there’s always plenty happening at Tennessee and always plenty of interesting things to discuss regarding the Vols’ past, present and future.
There were plenty of interesting questions from Tennessee fans to answer in this episode. Football, basketball, recruiting and much more are discussed in detail in this full-hour episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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Apr 10, 2020
BREAKING: Alabama athlete commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss big Alabama wide receiver Roc Taylor’s Friday afternoon commitment to Tennessee.
The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Taylor chose Tennessee over a list of several other offers, including SEC programs Florida and Arkansas. He became the Vols’ 10th commitment in the 2021 class and their third commitment during this recruiting dead period caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.
What kind of prospect is Taylor? Is he definitely a wide receiver going forward, or could a move to tight end or somewhere else come down the line? Why have the Vols been able to continue recruiting so effectively during this dead period, and does this 10-strong foundation at such an early period help them become more selective the rest of the cycle and focus on the players toward the top of their board? What does the addition of Taylor mean for the recruiting at th…
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Apr 8, 2020
Vols Offseason Checklist: DL, LB
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location in Knox County) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a Tennessee front seven that lost a couple of leading men after last season but returns plenty of potential and plenty of experience.
The first segment of this episode focuses on the defensive line — an area of depth and strength for Tennessee heading into the 2020 season. Every contributor from last season’s team is back, and senior Emmit Gooden — arguably the team’s best returning player at that point heading into 2019 — will be back after missing all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL. How did the Vols turn a potentially huge deficiency into a solid unit last season? How much can that group improve going forward? Will this unit continue to be a strength-in-numbers group, or could some individual players emerge as stars? Will any newcomers or 2019 reserves force their way into…
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Apr 7, 2020
Jeremy Pruitt talks quarantine, future, more
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker went into Fort Rucker Studio to briefly discuss some recent news before giving way to the main course of this episode — a lengthy discussion with Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt about how he and his program are handling this unusual quarantine period and an uncertain future that will (at some point) follow it.
Pruitt recently sat down for a half-hour to discuss where things stand for him, his program and the rest of the college football world at the moment, and he offered some candid remarks about the uncertainties facing everyone and football’s proper place in the world in a time like the present.
Tennessee’s coach also offered some interesting insights into his daily life these days, and how different things have been with him working from home in a house full of young children.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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Apr 2, 2020
Former Vols star talks solo coronavirus workouts
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and special guest Jayson Swain (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the shock to the system that this coronavirus shutdown is having on Tennessee football players.
Swain, who caught 126 passes while starring at Tennessee from 2003-06, returned to Knoxville after his playing days were done and started a new (and equally successful) career in the radio business. He hosts The Swain Event every morning from 7-10 Eastern. As a former star and captain at Tennessee, Swain has a unique insight into just how weird it will be for the current Vols to spend such an extended period of time away from their coaches, teammates and sanctioned workouts.
How will — or at least should — the Vols occupy their time during this indefinite leave from campus? How can a player stay physically and mentally sharp without the use of a full weight room and teammates to workout with in the complex? Is it possi…
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Apr 1, 2020
The past, present and future of Vols hoops
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247's Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to put a bow on Tennessee's 2019-20 basketball season and look forward to what could be a fantastic 2020-21 season.
This past season was never a dull one for Rick Barnes and his Vols, who were dealt a crushing blow when fifth-year senior point guard and unquestioned team leader Lamonte Turner went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Tennessee took a while to adjust to Turner's absence, and despite the emergence of junior forward John Fulkerson as a star and the remarkable impact from mid-year enrollee point guard Santiago Vescovi, the Vols remained an erratic bunch most of the season and were a longshot — not impossible, but a longshot — to make the NCAA Tournament before the postseason was cancelled because of the worldwide novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
What did we learn about the Vo…
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Mar 31, 2020
BREAKING: In-state receiver commits to Tennessee
Looking for some discussion on Tennessee's newest football commitment?
There’s a GoVols247 Podcast for that.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss in-state wide receiver Walker Merrill's commitment to Tennessee.
Merrill — an Nashville-area star who has been on the Vols' target board for a long time — gave Tennessee its second commitment of this unique, coronavirus-quarantine period. What kind of player is he, though? Where does he fit in the Vols' system? What does his addition mean for this class? Those are some of the questions discussed in this breaking-news episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later this week.
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Mar 30, 2020
BREAKING: Speedy RB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss speedy running back Jaylen Wright's commitment to Tennessee.
Wright, a 5-foot-11, 187-pound star at Southern High School in Durham, N.C., chose the Vols over a list of offers that included Miami, Arizona State and Syracuse, among others. He became the eighth public commitment and second public running back commitment in Tennessee's 2021 class, and he also hopes to run track for the Vols.
How much of an impact did Jay Graham play in this process? What kind of player is Wright? How do his skills project to the next level? Is he merely a speed merchant, or does he have the potential be much more? What's next for Tennessee at the running back position in this class? How much does the uncertainly of the Zach Evans situation play into that? Those are some of the main discussion points in a breaking-news episode that covers a l…
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Mar 27, 2020
Vols Offseason Checklist: RB, TE, OL
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Mar 27, 2020
BREAKING: Vols add grad transfer forward
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Sacred Heart grad-transfer forward E.J. Anosike’s commitment to Tennessee on Friday. The Pioneers star chose Tennessee over the rest of his top seven, a group that included Gonzaga, Louisville, Georgetown, Wake Forest, Georgia and Boston College.
Anosike, a younger brother of former Lady Vols star Nicky Anosike, spent the past three seasons at NCAA Division I program Sacred Heart, where the versatile forward blossomed into an All-Northeast Conference star.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Anosike averaged 15.7 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season, shooting nearly 50 percent from the foot and also showing some range to the 3-point line at times. He did most of his damage in the paint, though, much like his older siblings. Nicky was a two-time national champion as a frontline force for the Lady Vols,…
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Mar 24, 2020
Vols Offseason Checklist: QB, WR
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss an offseason checklist of sorts for Tennessee’s quarterbacks and wide receivers.
It wasn’t the spring anyone in the college football world envisioned, and some of Tennessee’s January enrollees — including touted quarterback signee Harrison Bailey and fellow quarterback (at least for now) Jimmy Holiday — had just three practices with their new teammates. In that sense, it’s tough to suggest anything has changed since the end of last season, when Jarrett Guarantano was the team’s primary player at the position. Assuming football gets going again at some point in the future, though, the opinion of Coach Jeremy Pruitt is that all five of Tennessee’s scholarship quarterbacks and Maryland transfer Kasim Hill (who’s a walk-on in Knoxville) have a chance to earn the first-team spot. Pruitt was c…
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Mar 23, 2020
Vols hoops guard enters transfer portal
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Jalen Johnson’s decision to enter the transfer portal and what that means for Rick Barnes and his Vols moving forward.
The 6-foot-7, left-handed Johnson was the highest ranked signee in Tennessee’s 2016 class, but injuries dampened the start of his career, and things never really took off for him in Knoxville. The injury to Lamonte Turner opened a door for Johnson to play a large role this season, but he averaged just 3.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 15.7 minutes per game. Tennessee will have another pair of five-star guards (Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson) in the fold next season, and Oregon transfer Victor Bailey Jr. will be eligible after sitting out last season, so it’s tough to see Johnson getting as much playing time for the Vols as a fifth-year senior.
When seen through tha…
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Mar 19, 2020
Strength coach leaving Vols for NFL
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house and at undisclosed location across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee strength coach Craig Fitzgerald’s move to the New York Giants and what that means for the Vols.
Fitzgerald is widely regarded as one of the game’s premier strength coaches, so there’s no way to sugarcoat his absence, but Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt has a solid track record of identifying good people for his staff. Hiring good people means you have to fight to keep them and often lose them, but that’s better than not having good people, right?
A move like this means there’s plenty to discuss, and much of that discussion is crammed neatly into this 15-minute chat.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released later in the week, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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Mar 16, 2020
Coronavirus impact on Vols, college sports
Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house at an unspecified location) convened via the magic of Al Gore's Internets to discuss the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on college sports and what options the Vols and everyone else have going forward.
The first segment of this episode is a general discussion on where things stand for various college sports — fall, winter and spring sports — during this extended hiatus. Obviously this was shaping up to be potentially the best Tennessee baseball season in years, so Tony Vitello and his BaseVols came up a good bit in that segment. But football, basketball and other sports were discussed, as well.
Football takes the stage by itself in the second segment of this episode, with a discussion on what kind of options Tennessee and the rest of the college football world has at this point. Tennessee has been through two spring practices. Some programs have had more, and some haven’t started yet. Is t…
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Mar 8, 2020
Vols football adds two commits to '21 class
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s two football commitments from this weekend.
Saturday was a big day for Jeremy Pruitt and his Vols, who added commitments from Alabama safety Edwin White and North Carolina defensive lineman Isaac Washington.
Both of Saturday’s commits have been on Tennessee’s radar for a long time. White was offered within Pruitt’s first week on the job in Knoxville, and Washington has had an offer for a long time and re-committed to the program after de-committing following the departure of former defensive line coach Tracy Rocker. Washington apparently learned all he needed to learn about new defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, and he quickly put himself back in the fold.
Discussion on White and Washington dominates this episode. What kind of prospects are they? Who else offered them? How much upside do they have? What do 24…
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Mar 4, 2020
Vols stun No. 6 Kentucky in Lexington
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened just outside Rupp Arena to discuss Tennessee’s stunning, come-from-behind win at sixth-ranked Kentucky on Tuesday night at Rupp Arena.
The Vols trailed by 17 points with less than 17 minutes left but stormed back to silence Rupp with an 81-73 win that pumped some much-needed life back into the program at the business end of the regular season.
How did Tennessee pull off Tuesday’s win? What’s gotten into John Fulkerson and Josiah-Jordan James? What does this mean for the Vols moving forward? Those are the primary discussion points of an episode that also features interviews with Vols coach Rick Barnes, Kentucky coach John Calipari and three Tennessee players — Fulkerson, James and junior guard Jalen Johnson.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released by Monday, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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Mar 2, 2020
Spring football, hoops postseason, etc.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Patrick Brown (from his house at an undisclosed location across town) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the latest on a Tennessee football spring camp that’s about to start and a Tennessee basketball season that’s nearing win-or-go-home time.
After a brief discussion on the hot start of Tony Vitello and his unbeaten, 16th-ranked Tennessee basketball team, football takes center stage for the first segment of this episode. It’s been mostly — not fully, but mostly — a good offseason for Jeremy Pruitt’s Vols, who take the field next to start spring camp. A bulk of the first segment is answers to questions from GoVols247’s CheckerBoard about spring ball. Some non-football questions worked their way into the mix, as well, just for funsies.
Rick Barnes and his Tennessee basketball team are the focus of the second segment. T…
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Feb 28, 2020
Latest on NFL Combine, Vols hoops, BaseVols
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football, basketball and even some baseball.
After giving a quick shoutout to the unbeaten, 19th-ranked Tennessee baseball team’s hot start to the season, the focus turns to Vols football for the first segment. It’s a huge week for several former Vols at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. A trio of former Tennessee pass catchers — wide receivers Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson — went through drills Thursday night, and results were decidedly mixed for all three of them. All three performed really well in some areas but underwhelmed in others and will look to improve on those areas before Pro Timing Day in Knoxville during spring camp.
Two more former Vols — inside linebacker Daniel Bituli and edge rusher Darrell Taylor — are also in India…
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Feb 10, 2020
Two more changes to Pruitt's Tennessee staff
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Feb 5, 2020
Vols storm back, stun Bama in Tuscaloosa
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened at the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — a hotel across the street from Coleman Coliseum, in this case — to discuss Tennessee’s wild, come-from-behind, 69-68 win at Alabama and interview Barnes and several of his players.
The first segment of this episode features a quick breakdown of Tuesday’s game — a game in which the Vols trailed by 15 points late in the first half — and interviews with Barnes, junior guard Yves Pons, junior forward John Fulkerson, senior guard Jordan Bowden and freshman guard Davonte Gaines. All four of those Vols played a big role in Tuesday’s win and had plenty to say afterward.
The second segment of this episode features a more thorough dissection of Tuesday’s game — the highs, the lows and everything in between — and a discussion on how badly the Vols needed that win. What does that win mean? How does it change things heading into Saturday’s showdown with Kentucky? Is Fulkerson a legitimate go-to…
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Feb 4, 2020
Tennessee National Signing Day preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to preview Tennessee football’s National Signing Day.
The traditional National Signing Day has definitely changed since the Early Signing Period came into play, but Tennessee still has multiple spots to fill and a few of the country’s top unsigned prospects firmly in the mix to fill those spots.
The first segment of this episode features a brief breakdown of the lay of the land heading into Wednesday. How much have things changed in this post-Early Signing Period era? How much have they changed for players, coaches and even for fans?
The second segment of this episode is a more thorough discussion on the handful of players still in the mix for Tennessee heading into National Signing Day — including a trio of the nation’s top uncommitted prospects.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Wednesday, unless major breakin…
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Feb 2, 2020
Vols collapse in second half at MissState
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker convened courtside at Mississippi State’s Humphrey Coliseum to discuss the ugly second half that led to Tennessee’s 86-73 loss to the Bulldogs and where the Vols go from here.
The first segment of this episode is a quick breakdown of Saturday’s game and then a trio of interviews with Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, Tennessee freshman point guard Santiago Vescovi and Tennessee redshirt freshman forward Uros Plavsic. Vescovi and Plavsic scored 16 points apiece for the Vols in Plavsic’s first career start, but obviously more went wrong than right for the visitors on Saturday.
The second segment of this episode is a more thorough breakdown of Saturday’s game.
How did things change so drastically in the second half? Are these Vols physically overmatched or just not tough enough, or is it both? How long will James be out after re-tweaking the hip injury that cost him most of preseason camp? What were the pluses and minuses from Plavsic in his first career star…
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Jan 30, 2020
Jay Graham back home sweet home
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’d Internets to discuss the return of Jay Graham to Tennessee and some major rankings upgrades for players in the Vols’ 2020 signing class.
The first segment of this episode is primarily a discussion on the return of Graham, a former star running back at Tennessee who began his coaching career in Knoxville after finishing his playing career in the NFL. Graham then worked his way up through the lower levels of college as a full-time coach before getting to the SEC at South Carolina in 2009. He then came to Tennessee for one season in 2012 before going to work with Jimbo Fisher at Florida State and then going with Fisher to Texas A&M in 2018. Graham — who has worked with Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and Vols offensive coordinator Jim Chaney — was hired to replace David Johnson and will coach Tennessee’s running backs, but his title beyond that…
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Jan 29, 2020
Vols out-toughed in shocking loss to A&M
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened at the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — Thompson-Boling Arena, in this case — to discuss Tennessee’s shocking 63-58 loss to Texas A&M and where the Vols go from here.
The first segment of this episode is a brief rundown of the game and a trio of interviews with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes, Tennessee junior forward John Fulkerson and Tennessee senior guard Jordan Bowden.
The second segment of this episode is a more thorough discussion of Tuesday’s game. How did that happen? Why wasn’t Tennessee locked in? Why did the Vols get bludgeoned so badly on the glass? What in the world was veteran referee Mike Nance doing when he bumped Barnes and then acted like Barnes started a confrontation with him down the stretch? Did anything good happen in Tuesday’s game? How can things better before an upcoming stretch of games at Mississippi State and Alabama? Those are the primary discussion points in the second segment.
The next GoVols…
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Jan 23, 2020
John Fulkerson talks Vols, Kansas, Lucky Charms
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the recently improved play of the Vols and their upcoming trip to Allen Fieldhouse to face the talented, scandal-ridden Jayhawks.
The first segment of this episode is a discussion on Tennessee’s much sharper play in the past two games — a blowout win at Vanderbilt on Saturday night and a blowout win over Ole Miss on Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena. Yes, the Dores and the Rebels are struggling, but both teams looked better against other SEC teams than they did against the Vols. Ole Miss, in particular, has looked good at times, building double-digits leads in three of its first four SEC games before getting run out of Thompson-Boling Arena. Have the past two games simply been a matter of weaker competition? Or have the Vols started figuring out some things with their new-look lineup? That…
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Jan 16, 2020
Rough night for Vols in Georgia
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened at the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — again a hotel, in this case — to discuss Tennessee’s 80-63 loss at Georgia, Uros Plavsic’s college debut and where the Vols go from here.
The first segment of this episode is a breakdown of the Vols’ ugly loss in Athens. Why did that happen? Why was it so bad? Is any of it explainable? Those are the main discussion points in that segment.
The second segment of this episode features postgame interviews with Barnes, Plavsic and freshman guard Josiah-Jordan James. All three were asked tough questions and, as usual, offered candid replies.
The third segment of this episode is a discussion on Plavsic’s college debut — the highlights, the lowlights and everything in between — and then discussion on how he’ll assimilate into the Vols’ rotation moving forward.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless major breaking news occurs before that point.
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Jan 14, 2020
Vols' Uros Plavsic cleared to play immediately
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Great Ramey (from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the NCAA’s decision to rule Tennessee big man Uros Plavsic eligible to play immediately.
Plavsic, a 7-footer from Serbia who finished his high school career at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in nearby Chattanooga, spent one redshirt season at Arizona State before deciding to transfer closer to his East Tennessee home away from home. Plavsic’s initial immediate-eligibility waiver was denied, as were a couple of subsequent appeals, but Tennessee remained persistent and eventually got an appeal accepted Tuesday afternoon.
What does that mean for the Vols? It means Plavsic is eligible to play immediately, beginning with Wednesday’s game at Georgia.
But when will Plavsic actually be tossed into the mix? And what kind of impact will he have on the team in the short-term and longterm? What are h…
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Jan 10, 2020
GoVols247: Vols add two high-profile transfers
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s addition of two high-profile transfers — starting offensive lineman Cade Mays from Georgia, and speedy wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. from USC.
The first segment of this episode is a general discussion on the addition of Mays and the impact that will have on the Vols, perhaps as soon as the 2020 season if Mays is able to secure an immediate-eligibility waiver from the NCAA. Mays — a former star at Knoxville Catholic High School, the older brother of Vols offensive line signee Cooper Mays and the son of former Vols offensive lineman Kevin Mays — upset a lot of people in the state when he signed with Georgia over the Vols, but he had his reasons for doing that. Situations change, though, and Mays’ decision to return home is one that certainly won’t upset a fan base that never wanted him to leave home in the fir…
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Jan 10, 2020
Trey Smith on why he's returning to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss star offensive lineman Trey Smith’s return to Tennessee for his senior season and what that means for the Vols.
The first segment of this episode is a general discussion on Smith’s return and the reasons he made that decision. There were risks associated with any decision Smith made, given his health situation, but when considering the pros and cons of the two choices, it’s tough to suggest Smith got this one wrong.
The second segment of this episode is the audio of Smith’s public announcement, plus interviews with Smith and Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Both of them had plenty of interesting things to say.
The third segment of this episode is a general discussion on what Smith’s return means for Tennessee in 2020. The returns of Smith and center Brandon Kennedy combined with the addition of five-star transfer Cade…
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Jan 8, 2020
Freshmen the difference in Vols' big win at Mizzou
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey went into the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — aka a hotel room in the Midwest early Wednesday morning — to discuss Tennessee’s 69-59 win over fromer Vols coach Cuonzo Martin’s Missouri Tigers on Tuesday night at Mizzou Arena in Columbia..
The first segment of this episode is a general recap of the good, bad and ugly from Tuesday’s win over Missouri. Sure, much of it — including the final score — was good. And sure, it was badly needed. But … there were some things the Vols could and should have done better, especially with ball security and valuing possession, and those things can’t be ignored. But most of the discussion in this segment and throughout this episode are of a sunnier nature, given the results of the game and performances of freshman point guards Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James. Those two newcomers led Tennessee down the stretch, and their contributions are described in detail in the first segment of this episod…
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Jan 3, 2020
Vols storm back, win Gator Bowl thriller
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — aka a hotel room — in Jacksonville to discuss Tennessee’s 23-22 win over Indiana on Thursday night at TIAA Bank Field, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
The first segment of this episode is a recap of the good, bad, ugly and just plain weird from the Vols’ win over the Hoosiers. There was plenty of all four of those things in Thursday's game.
The second segment of this episode is an interview with Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and freshman running back Eric Gray, the Gator Bowl MVP.
The third segment of this episode is a discussion on where the Vols go from here heading into the offseason.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.
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Dec 30, 2019
Updates from Vols' first practice in Jacksonville
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — aka a hotel room — in Jacksonville to discuss Tennessee’s first full day of on-site preparation for Thursday’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Indiana at TIAA Bank Field, the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
The first segment of this episode is a brief discussion of the Vols’ first day in Jacksonville, including insights and analysis from Tennessee’s afternoon practice at the University of North Florida.
The second segment of this episode features interviews with second-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt, junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and junior offensive lineman Trey Smith.
The third segment of this episode is a discussion of those interviews — including Smith’s comments on his upcoming NFL Draft decision — and some discussion on an interesting note about an injury Tennessee junior tight end Austin Pope played through late in the regular season.
The next GoVols247 Po…
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Dec 29, 2019
Vols and GoVols247 have arrived in Jacksonville
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into the GoVols247 Mobile Studio — aka a hotel room — in Jacksonville to discuss Tennessee’s arrival in North Florida for Thursday’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl against Indiana.
Jeremy Pruitt and his Vols reconvened in Knoxville on Thursday night after a brief Christmas break and flew down to Jacksonville on Saturday to start preparing for the Hoosiers.
GoVols247 arrived in Jacksonville earlier Saturday to provide daily coverage of Tennessee’s first bowl appearance in three years, and daily podcasts will be part of that coverage.
What is Tennessee’s mindset heading into its return to the postseason? Are the Vols just happy to be in a January bowl game, or have they arrived in Jacksonville determined to make a statement? Does anything that happens in this game change anything about next season? How are the Vols from a health standpoint? How will things look for a Tennessee offensive line dealing with the loss of at least two and perha…
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Dec 22, 2019
Sad end to Lamonte Turner's Tennessee career
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened courtside at Thompson-Boling Arena to discuss Turner’s shocking announcement that Saturday’s 75-53 win over Jacksonville State would be the final game of his college career.
Tennessee’s fifth-year senior point guard has battled shoulder injuries the past few years, and he and his family decided Friday night that he couldn’t continue to risk worsening the injury and needed to schedule season-ending surgery.
Some of the factors that led to Turner’s decision, the impact of Turner’s decision and a discussion on how the Vols can adjust to life without their leader are the main talking points in this episode.
(NOTE: The sound quality for parts of this episode isn’t great, and we apologize for that, but this is news that couldn’t wait.)
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.
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Dec 20, 2019
Is the struggle real for Vols hoops?
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s midweek loss at Cincinnati and the reasons for the program’s first two-game losing streak in two years.
Tennessee’s 78-66 loss at Cincinnati was troubling for many reasons, and those reasons are discussed in detail in the first segment of this episode. The Vols’ offense showed some signs of life after its dismal performance in the 51-47 loss to Memphis, but their defense was as bad as it’s been for a while, and it’s fair to suggest no one in or around the program saw that coming. Why did it happen? What possible explanations are there for that performance? Those aren’t easy questions to answer, but the first segment of this episode is an attempt to make sense of the situation.
An interview with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes is the second segment of this episode.…
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Dec 20, 2019
Vols open Early Signing Period in style
GoVols247’s full staff Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class after the program’s strong start to the Early Signing Period.
There was at least a mild amount of consternation throughout much of Tennessee’s fan base during the 2020 recruiting cycle, because the Vols’ class looked solid but not outstanding on the surface for much of that time.
For the second consecutive year, though, Jeremy Pruitt and his staff got hot late in the process and added plenty of big pieces.
Tennessee added five prospects — including three four-star prospects — on Wednesday, and the Vols’ class is now ranked 15th nationally. And it could get even better in the coming weeks, because some big-time prospects — including five-star tight end/athlete Darnell Washington from Las Vegas — are still heavily considering Tennessee.
How did Tennessee regenerate moment…
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Dec 16, 2019
Vols searching for answers after Memphis loss
GoVols247’s full staff Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s ugly loss to Memphis and the challenges facing the Vols this week and beyond.
Saturday certainly didn’t go the way Tennessee hoped or expected. Thirteen-ranked Memphis came to Thompson-Boling Arena down two starters — including arguably the top NBA prospect in college basketball — but still walked away with a jersey-popping, 51-47 win in one of the ugliest games in a fierce rivalry that often produces ugly games.
The first segment of this episode is a breakdown of Saturday’s ugly affair in the Tommy Bowl and the ending of what had been an NCAA-leading, 31-game home-court winning streak. How in the world did that happen? That’s perhaps the easiest way to describe the nature of that segment.
The second segment of this episode is a look at other questions. The most i…
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Dec 16, 2019
Early Signing Period preview
GoVols247’s full staff Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s 2020 recruiting class heading into the Early Signing Period.
Second-year Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff hosted a long list of official visitors — including five-star tight end Darnell Washington from Las Vegas — on the final weekend before the Early Signing Period opens, so there’s plenty to discuss about all the moving parts that always go into the recruiting process.
The first segment of this episode is a recap of the big recruiting news from the past week — and there certainly was plenty of that, with Tennessee adding several commitments and parting ways with some others before hosting a big, impressive list of visitors over the weekend.
The second segment of this episode is a general discussion on where things stand heading into the opening of the Early Signing Period and how things coul…
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Dec 13, 2019
Talking Memphis with GoTigers247
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and GoTigers247’s Christian Fowler (from Memphis) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Saturday’s Tennessee-Memphis game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The first segment of this episode is a general lay-of-the-land discussion setting up the second and third segments, when Fowler arrives to deliver insider information on Penny Hardaway and his Tigers heading into Saturday’s game.
The second segment of this episode is a discussion with Fowler on the drama surrounding all things Vols and Tigers the past 12 months and how much that has impacted the future of this series, and whether Memphis is more interested than Tennessee seems to be about continuing this rivalry in the coming years.
The third segment of this episode is a discussion with Folwer on Saturday’s game itself — the matchups, the absence of Memphis freshmen James Wiseman and Lester Quinones, the way these young Tigers will perform in a sold-out, hosti…
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Dec 12, 2019
Tennessee-Memphis hoops preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Grant Ramey (from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Saturday’s Tennessee-Memphis game at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Last season’s rekindling of the heated in-state rivalry provided plenty of drama during and after the game between the Vols and Tigers. The first segment of this episode is a rundown of all that drama between Memphis coach Penny Hardaway and Tennessee coach Rick Barnes and their players, and where those actions have placed the future of this series after the current contract between the two programs expires next season.
The second segment of this episode is an interview with Barnes talking Vols, Tigers, injury updates and more.
The third segment of this episode tosses aside the drama and discusses only the matchups on the court between the 19th-ranked Vols and 13th-ranked Tigers. Memphis obviously isn’t at full strength, but the Tige…
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Dec 10, 2019
Dynamic Memphis RB commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s Tuesday commitment from Jabari Small, a dynamic running back at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis.
Small — the nation’s No. 11 all-purpose back prospect in the 2020 industry-generated 247Sports Composite — decommitted from Ole Miss less than two weeks ago and quickly switched his SEC allegiance to the in-state Vols, who on Monday added a commitment from his high school teammate, elite lineman Omari Thomas.
What kind of player is Small? What kind of impact could he have on Tennessee’s offense and special teams units? Why are the Vols so hot in Memphis this year, and is that a trend that can continue in future classes? Is there any concern that Ole Miss with new head coach Lane Kiffin will try to get Small back to Oxford? And why did Tennessee and junior-college cornerback Art Green part ways Monday night? Those are…
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Dec 9, 2019
Elite Memphis lineman commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from out of town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s Monday morning commitment from Omari Thomas, a star two-way lineman at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis.
Thomas — the nation’s No. 104 overall prospect and No. 8 defensive tackle prospect in the 2020 industry-generated 247Sports Composite — had dozens of offers but ultimately chose the Vols over Auburn and Texas A&M.
At 6-foot-5, 300 pounds, Thomas has been a two-way line-of-scrimmage standout at Briarcrest, and he could project to either side of the ball at the next level, but he prefers defense and Tennessee plans on putting him there to start his career.
What led Thomas to Tennessee when at times he seemed a bit more likely to commit elsewhere? What kind of player is Thomas, and how does he project to the next level? Will his commitment impact the upcoming decision from Briarcrest running back Jabari Small? Is th…
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Dec 9, 2019
Hoosier bowl opponent?
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss the Vols, the Hoosiers and the Gator Bowl.
A weekend full of speculation ended with Tennessee accepting a bid to the Gator Bowl, so the Vols will play Indiana on Jan. 2 at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville.
The first segment of this episode is focused on the process that led Tennessee to its Gator Bowl bid, rather than a bid in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl in nearby Nashville. There were compelling reasons for Tennessee to prefer both places, so there’s plenty of discussion on why the Vols ultimately insisted on Jacksonville rather than their own state capital.
The second segment of this episode is focused on Indiana football. The Hoosiers are historically a Big Ten doormat with just 11 bowl appearances and three bowl wins in their 121-year history, and they have to share a Big Ten West Division with juggernauts…
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Dec 6, 2019
Vols hoops rolling into academic break
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Grant Ramey convened courtside at Thompson-Boling Arena to discuss all things Tennessee basketball following a comfortable win over Florida A&M that sent the 21st-ranked Vols into a brief academic break with a 7-1 record on the young season.
The first segment of this episode is a recap of Tennessee’s win over Florida A&M — a comfortable win that was supposed to be comfortable, but also a game that allowed the Vols an opportunity to play all four of their freshmen together for a good chunk of the second half.
The second segment of this episode is a full recording of Rick Barnes’ presser following the win over Florida A&M.
The third segment of this episode is a discussion on where things stand with these Vols — the good, the bad, the ugly and the unknown — heading into their break break for fall semester final exams and their huge game against Memphis next weekend at Thompson-Boling.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning…
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Dec 5, 2019
Vols going streaking into bowl season
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio), Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan (from their homes across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss a Tennessee football team that will take a five-game winning streak into its first bowl appearance in three years.
The first segment of this episode is a recap of last weekend’s regular-season-ending, 28-10 over Vanderbilt — a badly needed win for the pride of the Tennessee program — and some discussion on potential bowl destinations and opponents for the Vols. That’s an interesting discussion, because projections for this bowl season are all over the map. A few bowls are the most discussed possibilities for a reason, though, and we discuss the reasons for that.
The second segment of this episode features two main discussion points. The first is a discussion on the decisions of three players — veteran offensive linemen Ryan Johnson and Marcus Tatum, and freshman wide receiver/cornerback Jerrod Means — t…
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Dec 2, 2019
Exclusive interview with Daniel Bituli
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker went to Anderson Training Center to sit down for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Tennessee senior inside linebacker Daniel Bituli — an impressive football player with an even-more-impressive story off the field.
Bituli and his family have have a remarkable couple of decades. Just 20 years ago, the Bituli’s had to flee their native Congo as refugees from the war-torn African region, and they spent time at a refugee camp in Cameroon before successfully petitioning their way to the United States of America. They didn’t speak the native language and lived in a tent and then a small apartment before getting their first American home with help from Habitat for Humanity. To say the least, it was a humbling transition for a family led by a father who’d been a mechanical engineer and a mother who also had a stable job as a secretary.
Just 20 years after that, the Bituli children are thriving. Their oldest son, Randy, is a graduate of Middle Tennessee St…
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Nov 28, 2019
Vols-Vandy preview, holiday hoops talk, etc.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown convened at Anderson Training Center and then Wes went solo at Fort Rucker Studio to discuss the Tennessee football team and basketball team that are playing well at the moment.
The first segment of this episode is a general preview of this weekend’s Tennessee-Vandy game at Neyland Stadium, albeit with a few specific themes. Tennessee’s senior class, the matchups to watch in Saturday’s game and few other topics are discussed.
The second segment of this podcast is a Thursday-morning-pod staple — answers to questions submitted by members of GoVols247’s CheckerBoard. There were good football and basketball questions submitted this week, as usual, and also some of the hand-to-hand combat questions we’ve been getting for weeks now. Wes went solo for this segment, and it lasted a big longer than expected, but … that just means more Vols talk, right?
Hoops takes center stage in the third segment of this episode. The 17th-ranked Vols wil…
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Nov 26, 2019
Vols football going bowling, Vols hoops rolling
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio and Thompson-Boling Arena to discuss all things Tennessee football and basketball.
The Tennessee football team spent the weekend at Missouri — a place it usually struggles — and left Columbia with a 24-20 win over the Tigers. The Vols’ fourth consecutive win also made them bowl-eligible, and that could be a January bowl game in Florida if they take care of Vanderbilt as expected on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
It was wilder than it needed to be at Mizzou, but the Vols found a way to hold on and win a game they comprehensively controlled from a yards-from-scrimmage standpoint.
The first segment of this episode is a quick recap and discussion of the good, bad and ugly of the Tennessee-Mizzou game, with an emphasis placed on the good, because these Vols won only one of their first four games and are now back above .500. How has this team managed to get its head back…
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Nov 21, 2019
Vols-Mizzou preview, hoops talk, etc.
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened at Fort Rucker Studio (except one segment at Thompson-Boling Arena) to discuss a Tennessee football team and basketball team that are … well … winning at the moment.
The first segment of this episode is a general preview of this weekend’s Tennessee-Missouri game in Columbia, albeit with a few specific themes. Tennessee’s quarterback situation (of course), the nature of this evolving border-battle with the Tigers and some thoughts on how difficult this game is to predict are the main points.
Following a quick injury update, the second segment of this podcast is a Thursday-morning pod staple — answers to questions submitted by members of GoVols247’s CheckerBoard. There were good football and basketball questions submitted this week, as usual, and also some of the hand-to-hand combat questions we’ve been getting for weeks now.
Hoops takes center stage in the third segment of th…
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Nov 18, 2019
Vols football's big finish, Vols hoops' big start
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from their various Knoxville-area homes via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football and basketball.
Second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his Tennessee football team had their final open date of the regular season last week, and now the stretch run begins for the Vols, who need to beat either Missouri on the road or Vanderbilt at home the next two weekends in order to secure bowl-eligibility for the first time in three years.
Obviously the Vols hope to win both of their final two regular-season games, though, and there’s probably a big carrot on the end of that stick if they accomplish that task. The way things are shaking out, it looks like two wins could perhaps get the Vols to a January bowl game in Florida.
But Tennessee was at this exact same point after 10 games last season, and we all know how that ended, don’t we?
Will this team be any different? Wh…
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Nov 14, 2019
Vols open-week chatter, historic hoops signing class, etc.
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened to discuss some big news for the Tennessee football and basketball programs.
Wes, Pat and Ryan convened at Fort Rucker Studio for the first two segments of this episode.
The first segment is a recap of Tennessee football’s plans for this final open-date week in the regular-season schedule. Where do the Vols stand at the moment? What’s OK? What needs to improve? What should they do with the quarterback position moving forward? Those are the main discussion points in the first segment.
As (almost) always, answers to questions submitted on GoVols247’s CheckerBoard are answered in the Thursday morning podcast episode. Those answers usually come in the third segment of the episode, but they got bumped up to the second segment this week.
Hoops takes center stage in segment three of this episode, with Grant joining in from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville…
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Nov 11, 2019
Vols-Kentucky recap, big hoops week, etc.
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from their own homes throughout the Greater Knoxville Area to discuss another huge win for Tennessee football and a huge week for Tennessee basketball.
Tennessee’s 17-13 win at Kentucky was hardly a thing of beautify, and it times it was excruciating, but a goal-line stand and a clutch performance from one-handed quarterback Jarrett Guarantano helped the Vols defeat their Beer Barrel rivals to the North for the 33rd time in the past 35 years.
What should we make of Tennessee’s performance in Lexington? So much of the game went so badly, and the Vols made more than a half-dozen awful mistakes that could have lost them the game, but they hung tough and found a way to win it. How should the good be weighed with the bad?
There’s plenty of credit to go around for Tennessee in the toughness department, and a few players had outstanding performances, but overall it must be said that the Vo…
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Nov 8, 2019
Bama edge rusher commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from across town at his house) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Jimari Butler’s commitment to Tennessee.
Butler, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound edge rusher from Mobile, Ala., didn’t play football until his senior season at Murphy High School, but the former basketball player emerged as a fast learner and a fast-rising prospect on the field. He’s had a really big senior season, drawing interest from several Power-5 programs, and Tennessee finally took the plunge and offered him last month.
Edge rusher is a serious need for Tennessee in the 2020 class, and Jeremy Pruitt and Co. absolutely love Butler’s upside at a premium position.
Tennessee’s staff is full of coaches with close ties to the Mobile area, and those coaches obviously saw and heard enough about Butler to put him so high on the board. What did they see in Butler? How high is his upside? How long will he need to develop before bein…
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Nov 7, 2019
Beer Barrel preview, hoops chatter, etc.
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey —convened at Fort Rucker Studio and then Tennessee’s Anderson Training Center for all the latest from another busy week for Vols football and basketball.
Football-basketball crossover season always features tons of news, so this episode features four segments rather than the usual three.
All things Beer Barrel take center stage in the first segment. Tennessee plays at longtime rival Kentucky on Saturday night in Lexington, and there’s plenty to discuss heading into that big game. Both the Vols and Wildcats have quarterback conundrums heading into the game, adding another level of intrigue to a game that’s already really important for both teams.
Tennessee football recruiting is the primary discussion point in the second segment of this episode. It’s been an interesting week for the Vols on that front, leaving some good news (the commitment of 370-pound Texas offensive lineman Kyree Miller) a…
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Nov 4, 2019
Vols-UAB recap, hoops talk, etc.
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from various homes in the Knoxville area through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football’s 30-7 win over UAB and the start of Tennessee basketball season.
It wasn’t the prettiest performance Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, but there’s no such thing as an ugly win for Tennessee football at the moment, and the Vols’ 30-7 win over UAB got them one step closer to securing bowl-eligibility — something that didn’t seem plausible when the team stumbled to a 1-4 record heading into the teeth of its schedule.
Tennessee’s offense never really clicked against an UAB defense that’s ranked near the top nationally in most major categories, but Tennessee’s defense and special teams more than made up for that. The Vols forced four turnovers — three of them interceptions from sophomore cornerback Bryce Thompson — and got a huge performance from junior kick…
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Oct 31, 2019
Vols-UAB preview, hoops recap, etc.
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened at Fort Rucker Studio and then Thompson-Boling Arena to discuss plenty of Tennessee football and basketball topics heading into a big period for both programs.
The first two segments of this episode are focused on football, with Wes, Patrick and Ryan convening in Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Jeremy Pruitt’s rapidly improving Vols. The first segment is a preview of Saturday’s game against better-than-you-think UAB and how concerned the Vols should be heading into a matchup with the 6-1 Blazers. It also features an update on Tennessee’s situation at quarterback — where two of the team’s three scholarship players have recently suffered injuries — and some injury updates on key players on both lines of scrimmage.
Answers to questions from GoVols247 subscribers on The CheckerBoard is usually the third segment on the Thursday morning podcast, but a tweak to the schedule bumped that…
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Oct 28, 2019
Vols smash South Carolina in statement win
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from various homes in the Knoxville area through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s 41-21 win over South Carolina on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
A significant amount of adversity leading into the game and early in the game itself served as a backdrop for one of the most significant second halves for the Vols in a long time. Tennessee played three quarterbacks, none of whom were the team’s starter. The Vols had several injuries occur during the game. They had a few really tough calls go against them, and they allowed a 75-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first play.
None of that crushed Tennessee’s will to win, though, and the Vols found a way to win a game that was really important in the moment and could be even more important for the future.
How did Tennessee pull off such a stunning second half in all three phases of the game? What led to that moment? W…
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Oct 24, 2019
Vols-Gamecocks preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to preview Tennessee’s critical game against South Carolina on Saturday at Neyland Stadium, the Vols’ quarterback conundrum and much more.
As the week progresses and it looks more and more likely that freshman Brian Maurer won’t be available against the Gamecocks, the question becomes clear: Will Tennessee start embattled junior Jarrett Guarantano or woefully inexperienced redshirt freshman J.T. Shrout on Saturday afternoon? That’s a huge discussion point of this episode, and it occurs in the second segment.
The first segment of this episode is a general discussion on the Vols-Gamecocks game from several angles, including the unavoidable fact that South Carolina’s Will Muschamp is 7-0 against Tennessee as a head coach. Discussion on South Carolina’s strengths and weaknesses is included in that segment, as well.
As (almost) always, the third and final segment of the Thursday morning podcas…
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Oct 23, 2019
Another 5-star commits to Vols hoops
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio near downtown Knoxville) and Grant Ramey (from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss five-star shooting guard Jaden Springer’s commitment to Tennessee.
Springer — the nation’s No. 16 overall prospect in the 2020 industry-generated 247Sports Composite — chose the Vols over a Who’s Who of suitors, but his final three were Tennessee, Michigan and Memphis.
The 6-foot-5, 195-pound Springer — a Charlotte native who had a firm offer from North Carolina — transferred to Florida’s IMG Academy to complete his high school career, and he became the latest member of Tennessee’s star-studded 2020 class that also features five-star shooting guard Keon Johnson (No. 23 overall prospect) and high-four-star guard Corey Walker (No. 36 overall prospect).
Why did Springer choose Tennessee? What does his commitment mean to Rick Barnes and his program? Who will…
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Oct 23, 2019
Three Memphis LBs commit to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from his house across town) convened through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets early Wednesday morning to discuss a huge late Tuesday night for the Tennessee football program.
Memphis Whitehaven High School has three SEC-caliber linebacker prospects on its roster, and all three of them committed to Tennessee on Tuesday night.
Four-star inside linebacker Bryson Eason got things starter with a 10 p.m. Eastern commitment to the Vols.
Less than 90 minutes later, the other two — four-star inside linebacker Martavius French and versatile three-star outside linebacker Tamarion McDonald — joined the party by announcing their commitments to Tennessee.
It was a stunning series of events, considering that French was committed to Arkansas until Sunday night and McDonald was committed to Mississippi State until early Tuesday night and that all three linebackers visited Arkansas over the weekend.
What kind of players did Tenn…
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Oct 21, 2019
Vols-Bama recap, QB problems, etc.
GoVols247’s full crew Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Tennessee’s loss at Alabama and all the good, bad and ugly things that happened over the weekend in Tuscaloosa.
Few expected the Vols to pose any threat to the top-ranked Tide, but a game full of attrition and adversity for both teams was a close-run thing until the the midway mark of the fourth quarter, when the Vols self-destructed at the goal-line and Alabama sealed the game with a back-breaking 100-yard fumble return touchdown.
Saturday’s game presented … well … a lot of things. We separated those things into three main topics — the impressive overall performance, the Jarrett Guarantano meltdown and the referees.
A few notes were added for this week’s opponent — the also-improving South Carolina Gamecocks — but most of those discussion will occur later in the week. The Alabama game left a lot of low-hanging fruit to pick, and this episode picks a lot of it.
Th…
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Oct 17, 2019
Tennessee-Alabama preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Tennessee’s upcoming game against top-ranked Alabama on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee got a badly-needed SEC win last week against Mississippi State, and the Vols suddenly have some momentum heading into the toughest game on their schedule. So there’s obviously a lot to discuss, and this episode does that.
An update on the status of Tennessee freshman quarterback Brian Maurer and a debate on whether he should be thrown into the fire at Alabama this weekend is the primary discussion point of the first segment in this episode.
The second segment of this episode focuses on a simple question: “What would be a good outcome for the Vols on Saturday night?” Tennessee’s first objective Saturday is the same as every other game. There’s a game to be played, and the Vols want to win it. But if we’re being honest here, a win in this game isn’t likely.…
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Oct 14, 2019
Vols get big, badly-needed SEC win
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan — went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Tennessee’s 20-10 win over Mississippi State on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
Saturday’s win created plenty of storylines, so there was a lot to discuss in this episode.
The first series of this episode is a quick recap of the game and a discussion on what that game means for the Vols for the rest of 2019 and beyond. Plenty of surprising faces emerged to make big plays in that game, and those faces are discussed in this episode.
One of those surprising faces — junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano — is the subject of lively discussion in the second segment of this episode. Guarantano stepped in for new starter Brian Maurer when the freshman concussed himself late in the first half, and the veteran made some of the game’s defining plays. What should Tennessee do about the quarterback situation for this weekend’s game at Alabama if Maurer is cleare…
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Oct 10, 2019
Tennessee-Mississippi State preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to preview Tennessee’s Saturday game against Mississippi State and much more.
The first segment of this episode is an injury status update on several important players and some interesting position switches we’ve noticed on the practice field this week. The Vols continue making adjustments in order to fortify some positions and provide emergency cover for other spots, and some of those tweaks have been interesting.
Focus shifts to Saturday’s game against the SEC’s Western-most Bulldogs for the second segment. Mississippi State is an interesting team for several reasons, not least of which being the mass suspensions announced before the season and the fact that suspended players for each game aren’t released until a couple of hours before kickoff. Discussion on all things Vols-Bullies occupies the entire second segment.
As (almost) always, the final segment of the Thursday morning podcast…
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Oct 7, 2019
Vols show signs of hope with new QB
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Tennessee’s weekend loss to third-ranked Georgia — a game that featured a new starting quarterback and some glimmers of hope before things fell apart down the stretch.
Before getting into the big topic — more on that in a minute — the first segment of this episode is a rundown the Vols’ loss to Georgia. There was good, bad and ugly, and discussions on all three of those things take place in the first segment.
The main topic — whether Saturday’s game showed signs of hope for salvaging this season down the stretch — takes place in the second segment.
Obviously Tennessee’s change from junior Jarrett Guarantano to true freshman Brian Maurer at quarterback is discussed heavily in each of the first two segments. Maurer gave the Vols a big spark against the Bulldogs, throwing for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the first half before Georgia tightened the screws and put a bea…
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Oct 3, 2019
Tennessee-Georgia preview
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant went into Fort Rucker Studio to preview Tennessee’s Saturday night showdown with third-ranked Georgia at Neyland Stadium.
Before getting to the football, though, the first segment of this episode is a discussion on the video that surfaced earlier this week of Vols sophomore inside linebacker Jeremy Banks’ recent run-in with local law enforcement after a traffic stop led to an arrest due to a previous traffic citation and a missed court date.
After that, though, the focus shifts back to football.
The second segment of this episode is a discussion on what the Vols need to do Saturday night to compete with the heavily-favored Bulldogs and give themselves at what would be a huge upset and some much-needed momentum for second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his rebuilding program. There’s obviously plenty Tennessee needs to do Saturday night, but we boiled that down to a few basic things that have to go right for the Vols.
As usual,…
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Oct 2, 2019
GoVols247/Dawgs247 Mashup Mixtape
house in Athens) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to break down Saturday’s game between the Vols and third-ranked Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium.
Tennessee (1-3, 0-1 SEC) and Georgia (4-0, 1-0) will enter Saturday’s game from different sides of the college football spectrum. The Vols are desperately trying to get things going under second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt, while Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs have SEC and national championship aspirations.
If the history of the Vols-Dawgs rivalry tells us anything, though, it’s to never assume anything. This matchup has provided several games for the ages, and some of the best games have come in years where a blowout was expected.
What does Tennessee need to do to make Saturday’s game interesting? What do the Dawgs need to do to prevent that? Are there any similarities to Pruitt’s rebuild in Knoxville and Smart’s rebuild in Athens? What’s it like behind the scenes to cover struggling teams versus teams competing for…
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Sep 30, 2019
Vols QB chatter to start Georgia week
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Tennessee’s quarterback situation and other topics heading into Saturday’s game against third-ranked Georgia at Neyland Stadium.
Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt said Monday that he has no desire to publicly discuss his team’s quarterback plans for the Georgia game, which is a far cry from suggesting struggling junior Jarrett Guarantano will be the man against the Bulldogs.
The first segment of this episode is a discussion on Tennessee’s three options for quarterback against Georgia. The Vols essentially can ride with Guarantano, ride with freshman Brian Maurer or play both. Each GoVols247 staffer on this episode took one one of the three sides for a hypothetical debate on the strengths and weaknesses of each choice.
The second segment of this episode is a discussion on the difference between the Georgia program when Kirby Smart inherited it four years ago and the Tennessee program Pruitt…
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Sep 26, 2019
Vols '100 times better' than last year?
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan — went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss all things Tennessee football toward the tail end of a critical open week in the schedule.
Tennessee’s loss at ninth-ranked Florida last weekend was the Vols’ fourth setback in their first three games, and this week’s open date offers chance to regroup before heading right back into the teeth of the schedule, with home games against third-ranked Georgia and Mississippi State before a trip to Alabama to face the second-ranked Crimson Tide.
Interestingly, though, second-year Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt said this week that he firmly believes his team is “100 times better” than it was this time last year. The first segment of this episode features a length discussion on that comment and it’s believability.
Obviously the quarterback situation remains a hot topic around these parts, and the second segment opens with an update on the situation surrounding…
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Sep 23, 2019
The Great QB Debate begins
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from his house across town) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to dissect the Vols’ 34-3 loss at ninth-ranked Florida on Saturday at The Swamp.
What could — and almost certainly should — have been a much closer game eroded in the second half, and Tennessee’s inability to get out of its own way has now left the Vols with three losses in their first four games.
General recap of and analysis from Saturday’s game is the topic of discussion during the first segment of this episode, and then main dish — a discussion of the quarterback situation — comes in the second segment.
Jeremy Pruitt and his staff are now left with tough decisions to make after another poor performance by junior Jarrett Guarantano — who struggled so much in the first half at Florida that Tennessee turned to true freshman Brian Maurer to start the second half.
Saturday was simply the beginning of the toughest part of Tenn…
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Sep 19, 2019
Vols-Gators preview
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Grant Ramey and Ryan Callahan — went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss the big story lines heading into Saturday’s showdown against ninth-ranked Florida in The Swamp.
Tennessee needs all hands on deck to tangle with the Gators, and the return of sophomore cornerback Bryce Thompson certainly provides a big boost. Thompson, a reigning Freshman All-American, missed the team’s first three games while dealing with an off-field issue but will be available at Florida.
Will Thompson play? Will he start? What kind of impact will he have? What does his return mean for the Vols’ secondary. That, along with an update of sophomore inside linebacker Jeremy Banks and his situation following an off-field incident, is a big talking point in this episode.
Saturday’s game will have plenty of other story lines, though, and the second segment of this episode features a lengthy discussion on one main question: What does Tennessee need to do i…
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Sep 16, 2019
Vols ... win? Yes. Vols win.
GoVols247’s self-appointed fun crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss the Vols’ 45-0 win over Chattanooga, get a head start on breaking down upcoming opponent Florida and much, much more.
NCAA Division I FCS program Chattanooga proved to be the right opponent at the right time for the Vols, who showed they were still focused by building a three-touchdown lead less than seven minutes into the first quarter.
That cushion allowed several Tennessee youngsters an opportunity to play extended reps, and some players took advantage of those reps. A break down of those youngsters is a big talking point in this episode.
Other main topics of this episode are obvious: How important was Saturday for the Vols? And how much impact will that game have on confidence heading into SEC play, which starts Saturday at The Swamp?
This week’s next GoVols247 Podcast episode — a full episode — will be released Thursday morning, unless major break…
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Sep 12, 2019
Vols-Chattanooga preview
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss star cornerback Bryce Thompson’s return to practice ahead of Tennessee’s Saturday game against Chattanooga.
Thompson was suspended in late August following an off-field incident, and reports later surfaced regarding a previous incident during his high school days in South Carolina, but Pruitt said Wednesday that the reigning Freshman All-American had gone through the proper channels with UT’s administration and would be allowed to return to the team.
Will Thompson play against the Mocs, or the following week’s SEC opener at longtime Eastern Division nemesis Florida? What would Thompson’s return mean for the cornerback position, the secondary, the defense and the entire team? That’s the only topic in the first segment of this episode.
Segment Two features some discussion on Saturday’s opponent, the NCAA Division I FCS Chattanooga Mocs, as well as…
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Sep 9, 2019
Tangled up in 0-2
Despite playing significantly better than they ever did against Georgia State and controlling the game for 59 minutes and 40-plus seconds, the Vols let BYU hang around before essentially handing the game to the Cougars in the closing moments.
Now Tennessee is 0-2 for the first time since 1988, and there are so many tough questions that need to be answered.
Rather than discuss every little question, though, this episode focuses on arguably the three biggest questions at the moment.
- How in the world did Tennessee lose that game?
- Do the Vols need to think about changing quarterbacks?
- What does this 0-2 start mean in the bigger picture for second-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt?
Several other topics fall under the umbrella of those three questions, but those three questions are the broad subjects discussed in this episode.
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Sep 5, 2019
Tennessee-BYU preview
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio to wrap up discussion from Tennessee’s unforgettably bad season opener and then shift the focus to Saturday’s game against BYU.
No one in orange wants to relive the Georgia State debacle, but the fact is Tennessee needs to take lessons from that in order to prevent an already-bad situation from getting worse. Does anything about that game make any more sense now that everyone has had a couple of more days to digest it? That’s a discussion point in this episode.
It’s been another fluid week for Tennessee’s roster, with a couple of players (junior wide receiver Jordan Murphy and sophomore cornerback Terrell Bailey) opting to leave the program, a couple of injured players (including senior linebacker Daniel Bituli) starting to look healthier and some players (including junior running back Tim Jordan, AKA Buff Hamster) nursing new injuries. Some young players also…
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Sep 2, 2019
WTH was that? WTH happens now?
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Tennessee’s shocking, 38-30 loss to Georgia State last weekend at Neyland Stadium.
How in the world did that happen? It wasn’t one thing, obviously. It was a large collection of mistakes that culminated in one of the worst days in the history of one of college football’s winningest programs. Those mistakes are discussed in detail in this episode.
Can this situation be fixed in the short term? And how? That also is discussed in detail in this episode.
Recruiting news, as always, also is discussed in the week’s first episode. Tennessee had several prospects in town over the weekend, and it seems the game’s result didn’t have much of a devastating effect on them. The reasons for that also are discussed in this episode.
The next GoVols247 Podcast episode — a full episode — will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that…
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Aug 29, 2019
Tennessee-Georgia State preview
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down a big week full of news heading into Tennessee’s season opening game against Georgia State on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.
It’s been a really newsy week for the Vols. Some of that news has been of the pleasant variety. Some of it hasn’t.
Regardless, Tennessee is now just a couple of days away from opening the 2019 season, and there’s plenty to discuss. And this episode discusses all of it.
A segment of answers to questions submitted to GoVols247’s CheckerBoard is included in this episode, as well.
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Aug 28, 2019
Tennessee star cleared to play
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker and Patrick Brown went into Fort Rucker Studio to breakdown Wednesday’s news that Tennessee star offensive lineman Trey Smith has been cleared to play in Saturday’s season-opening game against Georgia State.
Smith, a former five-star prospect and Freshman All-American, has twice been sidelined in the past two years with serious blood-clotting issues, but Smith has now fought back twice to get back on the field.
A discussion on Smith’s return and its impact on the Vols is the full focus of this quick, breaking-news episode.
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Aug 27, 2019
Vols' Solomon (finally) ruled eligible
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Studio) and Patrick Brown (from the other side of town) convened through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tuesday’s breaking news that Michigan defensive line transfer Aubrey Solomon was ruled eligible to play this season at Tennessee.
Solomon — the nation’s No. 23 overall prospect in the 2017 industry-generated 247Sports Composite — made headlines in January after his surprise decision to transfer from Michigan to Tennessee, and the Vols hoped the Georgia native would be ruled eligible to play this season.
It took longer than Tennessee hoped, but the Vols ultimately got the news they wanted. Solomon is likely a starter in Saturday’s season opener against Georgia State.
Solomon’s eligibility ruling and its impact on Tennessee’s 2019 season is the sole focus of quick breaking-news episode.
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Aug 27, 2019
Vols' depth chart: Can't spell Orange with 'or'
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan from (rebuilt) Fort Rucker Studio, and Ramey from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville — convened to break down a weekend of news so wild we had to push this week’s first full episode back a day.
The absence of star sophomore cornerback Bryce Thompson following an unfortunate weekend incident means the Vols might head into the season opener against Georgia State without the best players at all three levels of their defense. GSU isn’t a stout season-opening opponent, but that’s still slightly concerning for a Tennessee team looking to build momentum following a wretched finish to the 2018 season.
Week One in any season always (unless you’re Jim Harbaugh) includes the season’s first official depth chart. Rather comically, though, Tennessee’s depth chart was beyond ambiguous, with nearly as many ‘or’s as players. The Vols do have a freshman walk-on named Fred Orr, but he wasn…
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Aug 26, 2019
Vols star suspended indefinitely
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan went into Fort Rucker Studio to break down the indefinite suspension of Tennessee star sophomore cornerback Bryce Thompson, who was arrested after a dispute with his girlfriend over the weekend.
Thompson — a pivotal figure on Tennessee’s defense — was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault after the confrontation. An incident report from the Knoxville Police Department indicated there was no evidence of physical contact, but charges were made in accordance with state law because the woman felt threatened and Thompson threatened to “slap the (expletive)” out of her and said he was going to “shoot up the school.”
Property damage — specifically a small metal gate ripped out of it hinges and damaged sheetrock — also was noted in the report, and Thompson admitted he was involved in that. He told reporters he didn’t touch the woman during the confrontation, though, and multiple witnesses told officers they hadn…
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Aug 22, 2019
Wait, how many O-linemen?
GoVols247’s full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan from Fort Rucker, and Ramey from the GoVols247 Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville — convened to discuss plenty of Tennessee football and some Tennessee basketball, as well.
Second-year Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt turned some heads earlier this week when saying he thought the Vols could play eight to ten offensive linemen this season. If Pruitt meant what he said — and he almost always does — that certainly would be a non-linear way of handling a position that prides itself on the chemistry of the unit. Plenty of discussion on that topic is included in this episode.
That’s hardly the only interesting news to surface this week. One of the Vols’ young defensive linemen (Kurott Garland) returned to the program after tap-dancing in the NCAA portal for a few weeks, and one of the Vols’ talented true freshmen (Aaron Beasley) practiced in a new spot. Several other players spent time with o…
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Aug 21, 2019
Touted D.C. safety commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room Alternate Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from somewhere else) convened through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Washington D.C. safety prospect Mordecai McDaniel’s commitment to Tennessee on Wednesday.
McDaniel — the nation’s No. 410 overall prospect in the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, and the nation’s No. 385 overall prospect according to 247Sports analysts — had a long, impressive offer list and ultimately chose the Vols over SEC Eastern Division rival Florida and Penn State.
It’s been a busy and productive stretch for Tennessee on the recruiting trail, and the 6-foot-1, 195-pound McDaniel is another major addition to the 2020 class. His combination of speed and power and his impressive film against quality competition makes him a big for Jeremy Pruitt and his staff.
Why has Tennessee been so productive in the Beltway/DMV area in this recruiting cycle? What kind of prospect in McDaniel? Is he an i…
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Aug 19, 2019
Vols flipping focus to season mode
GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened in the Fort Rucker Alternate Sun Room Studio because one unnamed staffer forgot to purchase extra chairs for the renovated Fort Rucker Studio, and there was plenty of Tennessee football to discuss to start your work week.
Tennessee had its second major preseason camp scrimmage on Saturday at Neyland Stadium, and some familiar faces and newcomers did plenty to help their cause heading into the season opener against Georgia State in less than two weeks. The Vols are nearing the point where they’ll flip the script from camp mode to season mode, which made Saturday’s scrimmage even more important for the players still fighting for positioning in the depth chart — which means practically everyone on the roster, according to second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Speaking of Tennessee’s depth chart, what’s going on with the offensive line and defensive line? How much concern is there a…
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Aug 16, 2019
Elite edge rusher commits to Tennessee
GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from the Fort Rucker Sun Room Alternate Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from the road in Georgia) contended via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to break down Tennessee’s newest commitment — elite edge defender BJ Ojulari from Marietta High School in Marietta, Ga.
Ojulari — the latest in a growing pipeline of prospects flowing from star-studded Marietta High School to Tennessee — is the nation’s No. 157 overall prospect and No. 10 weakside defensive end prospect in the 2020 industry-generated 247Sports Composite. Many thought LSU was the favorite to land Ojulari, but Tennessee doggedly pursued the prospect for nearly two years and ultimately secured his commitment in another major recruiting win for reigning 247Sports National Recruiter of the Year Brian Niedermeyer.
What kind of prospect is Ojulari? Does he have the tools that translate to an immediate impact at the SEC level? Does this help Tennessee’s chances of getting even more players from a tal…