Ekeler: 'Sky is the Limit' For Freshmen Josephs and Pearce

Tennessee is looking for a pass-rushing presence this fall, and as things unfold, it appears they could get help from freshmen Joshua Josephs and James Pearce.

Tennessee is looking for a pass-rushing presence this fall, and as things unfold, it appears they could get help from freshmen Joshua Josephs and James Pearce. Outside linebackers coach Mike Ekeler spoke highly of the freshmen today, noting their potential, but also voicing the need for patience. 

"Shoot, as we get going there might be four of them," Ekeler said of the depth at the LEO position group. "The sky is the limit. It's on them, it's on me to get them ready. I just think as the season goes on, you're going to see more and more out of both of them (Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr.). Just remember, they just got here. I'm not making excuses for me or them or anything. Those guys are going to be incredible players when it all is said and done. It's just getting them to that point. I think you are going to be excited with what you see." 

The depth at that position was thin last fall, so it was undoubtedly a major need for the Vols to address on the recruiting trail. It appears these freshmen are progressing in the right direction. 

"We got two young guys in Joshua Josephs and James Pearce Jr.," Ekeler added about the two freshmen. "Josh is really coming along and so is James, but James is a little more raw. Josh is a little more seasoned in a certain sense, but both of those guys have just an incredible amount of talent and unbelievable work ethic. Great kids just figuring it out. They're true freshmen, they just got here. The sky is the limit for them. If they stay the course, they keep busting their tail and you are talking about two guys that are six-foot-five coming off the edge, and they can flat out go. They got great instincts and love to play the game, so beyond excited."

As with any freshmen, though, there has to be patience and understanding expectation, something Ekeler reiterated today. 

"Managing the expectations. Those guys, I've told them both, they have to think of themselves as seniors," Ekeler said of this. "Those seniors out here, they expect that out of them. They're not freshmen. They got to go out and when they step on the field, they got to execute. They got to execute at a championship level and if they can't do that, then they aren't going to be out there. That's a challenge. To get them to that level, to get them to that point where they can go out and coach Tim Banks feels comfortable about putting them in. They are going to play on special teams for us too, early. We'll get them rocking and rolling out there and as the season goes you should see their development and you should see their roles probably increasing." 

Tennessee is set to kickoff its season on September 1st in Neyland Stadium against Ball State. If the Vols hope to bring the freshmen into the rotation even more this season, that contest will likely offer early opportunities for both Pearce and Josephs.