Skeleton crew: Tennessee reportedly missed dozens of players at practice on Saturday
By Keith Farner
Published:
Tennessee dealt with dozens of absences at practice on Saturday as the Vols dealt with a combination of several positive COVID-10 tests, but also contact tracing precautions.
Coach Jeremy Pruitt told reporters that while all teams are given 25 practices, realistically, the coach said, they’ll probably only be able to have 20 or 22 unless things get a lot better in recent weeks. The Vols are the latest SEC team to experience a host of absences because of the coronavirus followed by Vanderbilt, LSU and Auburn.
Because of the absences, the Vols couldn’t hold their regularly scheduled scrimmage.
“I’m really glad we didn’t play today,” Pruitt said. “If we’d had a game, we would’ve had a hard time beating anybody.”
Pruitt added that Len’Neth Whitehead had a significant injury last year, and the coaching staff knew that when they signed him.
“He’s right on schedule with where he’s supposed to be,” Pruitt said. “Hopefully during the second half of the year he‘ll be able to play.”
#Vols were supposed to scrimmage today but they just practiced because 44 players were out. Only 30 offensive players were available.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 5, 2020
#Vols have 7 or 8 active COVID-19 positives. The rest of the others (and we’re talking maybe 30 guys) are out because of contact tracing.
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) September 5, 2020
Tennessee had 44 players that did not practice today.
— Dan Harralson (@danharralson) September 5, 2020
H/T GoVols247.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
