Tennessee will face this week what coach Jeremy Pruitt has called one of the best athletes in the SEC in Kentucky WR/QB Lynn Bowden.

“He is a fantastic wide receiver in the slot, very hard to guard,” Pruitt said on the SEC media teleconference. “Really good with the ball in his hands. Dynamic return guy. Playing quarterback shows his versatility, creates opportunities for them in the running game… it’s like playing Wildcat but he can throw the football… it hasn’t shown much because of the weather they have been playing in… he makes them dynamic. he stretches you all over the field.”

Pruitt declined to comment on making a bowl game and instead said the Vols are focused on this week.

He opened up about DL Aubrey Solomon’s recruitment, and how he went to Michigan first.

“Well, I enjoy recruiting and getting to know people from all over the country,” Pruitt said. “It’s something that lasts a lifetime, whether they come to play for you or not. There are many good universities with good people there. As a former educator, you want to have a positive impact on young people, whatever school that is. It’s a huge decision, I think it’s something to celebrate, you want to win them all but you can’t do it. … I know the men on our staff and I know the people they are and I know they share the philosophies I have… it’s something we take pride in, you take pride in the ones you get and you wish the ones you don’t well.”

Pruitt was asked about QB Brian Maurer and how the quarterback position would be decided this week.

“Well, I said earlier this week that we will get all three reps,” Pruitt said. “I also said Brian is healthy, he was unable to take reps the week before, there is a cumulative effect here, as far as who is ready to play. We will continue to get all three guys ready, we have confidence in all three guys. We will see who gives us the best opportunity to have success.”

Asked where his team has improved the most, Pruitt said there are a lot of areas.

“We were very inexperienced,” he said. “The more experience we have gained as the season has gone on has helped. The more you do something the more chance you have to gain good habits and improve. By the way we practice, from a player development standpoint, you have an opportunity to have success and our players have done that the entire year. We are nowhere close to reaching our ceiling based on youth and inexperience and they will continue to grow and we have to continue to do that.”