Tennessee has the unenviable task of facing a quarterback in the season opener that many believe to be the nation’s best in West Virginia’s Will Grier. Considering the Vols are working in several new faces in the defensive secondary and could start, or at the very least play, a couple true freshmen on the backend of the defense, the opening game in Charlotte looks to present an incredible challenge for Tennessee.

Despite all those potential landmines for the Vols, the good news is Jeremy Pruitt and safeties coach Charles Kelly are known as two of the best defensive back coaches in the nation. While playing freshmen defensive backs may seem like a negative to some, when you consider the young defenders have only been coached by Tennessee’s current staff, it could quickly turn into a positive for Tennessee. With no bad habits to rely upon, the freshmen will be thrown into the fire immediately to start their college careers.

During his Monday media availability, Pruitt was asked to share his thoughts on the challenge of facing West Virginia’s signal caller — and more specifically, how his defensive unit can put pressure on Grier.

“Talking about pressure, the quarterback – with the way they play – there is a lot of pressure on him, which a lot of people do now with everyone spread out and you have RPOs, whether you’re running zone reads or power lines,” Pruitt said on Monday. “So he has to do a lot, but I think the guy does a fantastic job. He’s got a lot of experience, which helps him.”

“As far as putting pressure on him, there are a lot of different ways to affect the quarterback. It could be by pressure disguises. It could be getting your hands up and staying in pass rush lanes or pushing the pocket up the middle. I think you have to pick and choose you spots. Anytime you bring pressure, it puts pressure on the back end in the secondary. As I have said all along, the defensive backs place the limitations on your defense.”

Unfortunately for Tennessee fans, they know all about facing Grier on the gridiron. The former Florida quarterback delivered a dagger to the hearts of Tennessee fans everywhere back in 2015 with a go-ahead touchdown pass late in the game down in Gainesville that nearly ended the Vols drought against the Gators.

While that moment may be burned into the memories of some members of Vol Nation, Pruitt didn’t care to even give a question regarding that play much of a thought, noting its a new era on Rocky Top.

“I don’t think anybody would have an advantage, whether it is him or the guys that have been here. That was a long time ago and a lot has changed since then,” Pruitt said.

That’s the right approach for Pruitt but he can prove his point even further on Saturday by leading the Vols to an upset win over Grier and West Virginia.