Notes, Observations From Tennessee's Monday Practice Ahead of the Orange Bowl

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-- Tennessee is in the sunshine state and practice is ongoing. The media was allowed fifteen minutes of viewed time, so we were able to

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-- Tennessee is in the sunshine state and practice is ongoing. The media was allowed fifteen minutes of viewed time, so we were able to make several quick observations from the outing. 

Ugly Weather

Tennessee's start to the week in the Sunshine State is anything but sunny. The weather is ugly. There has been rain off and on with the temperatures in the high 40's. The weather is supposed to clear throughout the week, though. 

Another Look at Newcomers

Got my first chance to see several of the newcomers in action, and I was impressed. Having covered most of these guys in recruiting, it is always nice to see them get out in pads and see them stack up. Nathan Leacock, Nathan Robinson, John Slaughter and Caleb Herring all popped immediately to me from a physical standpoint. John Slaughter and Jack Luttrell both looked natural during the turnover circuit. Larry Johnson III and McCallan Castles were both present today. Castles was not in pads, but he is as big as advertised, as is Johnson. 

Intensity Early

After a short stretch, Josh Heupel joined the team in the middle of the practice field and was vocal regarding winning today equaling winning on game day. Tennessee proceeded to get after it with good pace and energy during the turnover circuit and and the following group drills. 

Special Teams Emphasis

Tennessee went right into a special teams period early on in this practice. This is going to be an interesting game in terms of matchups on offense and defense, so a break on special teams could win this game, so it is not a surprise to see Tennessee putting an early emphasis on this to start the week.