Tennessee’s safety room took a hit last week when projected starter Edrees Farooq went down with a season-ending knee injury, and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter didn’t hide how much that stung when he spoke to reporters on Tuesday.
“First off, it was devastating. Not only for his team, but I feel bad for Edrees.
Just all the work he had put in. He was having a tremendous camp.
He really was starting to separate himself. I could see him having a great season.
So it’s unfortunate for him. Obviously it’s unfortunate for the team.
But like I told the guys, now it’s the next man up.”
That next-man-up message is now driving the Vols’ plan in the secondary, and Poindexter said Tennessee still has enough pieces to keep the unit moving. He pointed to the depth that was already in place before Farooq’s injury, noting the group had been rotating six players even before the setback. Losing an impact player forced some reshuffling, but Poindexter said the room still has enough talent to handle both the run and the pass.
The transfer who may loom largest in that mix is Michigan’s T.J. Metcalf, who Poindexter praised as a steady presence with real experience behind him.
“He’s a mature kid, first off. This is his third defense in the four years that he’s been here, so obviously, he’s smart.
He can pick up stuff. He’s got some leadership qualities to him and you can tell that he been in games.
He’s been in this conference, he been in the Big Ten. This dude played big-time football and he’s been in big-time environments, so the moment ain’t too big for him.
He’s a steady Eddie.”
Poindexter also talked about Kansas State transfer Qua Moss, who gives Tennessee flexibility across the secondary. He called Moss a “tremendous football player,” praising his twitch, speed, toughness and daily approach. Tennessee, he said, is “really happy” to have him and is expecting him to make a big impact this season.
Another name Poindexter singled out was Dejuan Lane, whom he recruited to Penn State before bringing him to Tennessee. Lane’s size, athleticism and speed stood out to Poindexter then, and the growth over the past year has been just as important.
“Just how he’s seeing the game and his speed. His pace of his game has slowed down. He’s really not just guessing Now he’s really reading it out and he understand what’s happening in front of him, and he doing a nice job.”
Poindexter said Lane keeps getting better every day and Tennessee will need that progress to continue. He also credited defensive back Dylan Lewis for earning more attention from the coaching staff after starting camp limited and working his way back to full go.
“Lewie, he’s just coming out each day. He was a little bit limited to starting camp off.
He’s back to full go. So each day, like all these guys, like I tell them, the tape is your resume.
So you just got to keep practicing, keep putting it on tape, and he’s doing a nice job with it as he get more and more reps and getting his feet back underneath him.”
Poindexter said his second season under Jim Knowles has made him a better teacher because he now understands exactly what the defensive coordinator wants from the scheme and technique. Last year, he said, he was learning on the run. This year, he’s teaching with a clearer picture.
He also addressed Tennessee’s tackling in scrimmages and preseason practices, saying the only way to become a strong tackling team is to actually tackle. He said the work in camp has sharpened the players’ angles and helped them understand what kind of tackle to make from different approaches. Still, he said the real evaluation starts when the games count.
For now, though, Poindexter likes where his group stands. The assignment work is in a good place, the talent is there, and the Vols’ secondary is still positioned to play “winning football.”
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