It didn’t take long for Tennessee fans to realize Jeremy Pruitt isn’t much of a hype man.

While he may not be into such things, he was willing to implore Vol Nation to show up and support the program this weekend for the upcoming Orange & White spring game. Pruitt wisely understands that building up support and drumming up passion from one of the best fan bases in the country can only help what he’s trying to accomplish in Knoxville.

So much so, that Pruitt challenged Tennessee fans to unite and help become part of the process of turning the football program into what it has proven it can become on the field during his latest media availability.

“When I got the job, one of the first things we talked about was, it’s going to take everybody to get Tennessee football back to the way it’s supposed to be,” Pruitt said. “When I say everybody, I mean everybody. So, everybody that considers their self a Tennessee fan, it’s going to take us all, and the first way to demonstrate that is showing up for the spring game. The passion for it. So, I expect our fan base to be there. We need it as a football team, we need it as a football program.”

The weekend is set to a key recruiting weekend for the program, as elite offensive lineman Wanya Morris is taking an official visit to Knoxville this weekend. The visit will be the first official spring visit in Tennessee history, the NCAA recently passed a new rule allowing spring official visits, and is taking place days before Morris’ planned commitment date of May 1.

According to 247Sports Composite Rankings, Morris is a top 50 overall prospect and the No. 6 offensive tackle prospect in the nation. Should he sign with Tennessee, there’s an excellent chance he starts for the Vols as a true freshman in 2019.

With that in mind, Pruitt is looking for every advantage that he can get this weekend. Fans showing up to Neyland Stadium in full force is certainly part of his plan.

“Obviously, it helps in recruiting. When you look and you see 102,000 people for a spring game, that sends a message to recruits about how important spring football is at Tennessee, and how much football is important in general,” Pruitt continued.

The Tennessee coach also believes fan support will help the current players on the roster, many of which will be stepping into significant roles for the first time in the upcoming season opener against West Virginia in Charlotte. Giving those players an audience to close out the spring could help the evaluation process of the coaching staff, according to Pruitt.

“It also gives our guys a chance to compete and an electric atmosphere which is important for us to do a good evaluation of them,” he said. “We’ve had two chances for scrimmages to get a look at them. There may be some guys that have gotten better each time, hey, maybe they won’t if there’s that many people in the stands. I think it gives them an opportunity to prepare for the environment they’ll see in the fall.”