Four players to watch in the Orange and White Game

As another season of Tennessee football spring practice comes to a close, the Vols will showcase their work on Saturday at Neyland Stadium (4, SEC Alternate Channel).

Here are some players to watch in the Vols’ annual spring scrimmage:

Dillon Bates, linebacker

Tennessee’s main concern on defense this spring practice has been the linebacker position.

The Vols have Jalen Reeves-Maybin as one consistent option at linebacker, but after the graduation of AJ Johnson, Tennessee has been left searching for more contributors at the middle of the defense.

Bates did not play as much as expected last season due to a season ending injury suffered in September, but this season he will be thrust into a bigger role.

Bates has seen significant time at middle linebacker this spring, where Tennessee has yet to name a starter.

“It’s a whole different world than the Will,” Bates said. “... The Mike is kind of the quarterback of the defense.

“You’ve gotta be a more vocal leader. You have to set the front. You have to know everything. You have to know everybody, what they’re doing, all the places.”

While Tennessee does have other options for the new starting middle linebacker, if he can develop Bates would be a nice athletic addition to the middle of the defense.

Evan Berry, safety

Last season as a true freshman, Berry saw action mainly at kick returner.

But the brother of former Tennessee All-American Eric Berry has stood out in spring practice, and could crack into the Vols’ talented lineup in the secondary.

“There’s been good days, there’s been days that have been better than others, but one thing about Evan is he’s extremely competitive, and you saw that today,” Butch Jones said after a scrimmage in early April. “And we all know he can run, so now it’s being able to have the instincts, understanding offensive schemes, what they’re trying to approach and then just letting it go.”

Tennessee secondary definitely has talent with the likes of Brian Randolph, LaDarrell McNeil and Todd Kelly Jr., but after a good spring, look for Berry to get more playing time in the fall at the safety position.

“There’s times he starts to look like his brother, no lie,” Randolph said.

Alvin Kamara, running back

Tennessee fans have all certainly heard of the talented Kamara, who has been the star of spring practice.

The former Alabama running back brings a strong second option to the table to complement Jalen Hurd.

“We know anytime Alvin touches the ball that he can break it,” wide receiver Josh Malone said. “As a group of wide receivers, we feel like if we secure the perimeter, he’s gonna have big, big days.”

Added linebacker Dillon Bates: “I’ve been really impressed with Alvin all spring. He’s a hard runner, he’s a fast runner and he’s kind of a quick twitch guy, so he can really get downfield in a hurry. It’s not surprising at all [when he gets a big run]. When he first got here, we were throwing the ball with him, and you could tell that he was gonna be a playmaker.”

Kamara brings more of a speed option to go with Hurd’s power, but Kamara also says he can be a power back when needed.

While Hurd is already a great source of production for Tennessee’s offense, Kamara will bring more to the Vols’ running game, making it even more dangerous.

Brett Kendrick, offensive line

The CAK alum Kendrick started two games on the offensive line last season (Arkansas State and Alabama), but did not live up to the potential that coaches were looking for.

“He’s changed everything that he’s done,” senior Kyler Kerbyson said. “He’s totally transformed.

“His footwork, his hands, everything. I’m really proud of him. He really took it in stride. He knew that tackle position would be open and he took advantage of it.”

Added offensive line coach Don Mahoney: “Brett’s been consistent this spring, His work’s paid off. His body is maturing. He’s been steady.”

Kendrick has bulked up this spring and gained confidence, and to his credit, has put himself back in the race for an offensive line starting spot, a race that he wasn’t a part of recently.

On an offensive line that definitely has had its share of issues, Kendrick could potentially be a starter that brings consistency by fall.

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