KNOXVILLE – Tennessee football is back on the practice field for the first time during 2026 camp, going through a 17-period individual workout on Wednesday morning at Haslam Field.
The low-density, acclimated practice featured individual position drills, routes on air, 7-on-7 and some 11-on-11 action without throws — all in helmets and shorts. The first practice concluded just shy of 11 a.m. ET.
“You are in the process of building a master in technique and scheme, and today is day one,” said sixth-year UT head coach Josh Heupel. “This is where we are at collectively and individually. It’s never about where you are at, it’s about where you have to get to and how hard you are going to compete.
“Guys got an afternoon to reset, eat and get some treatment to recover their bodies. Then, we have to go win in the meeting room this afternoon and prepare ourselves for tomorrow morning when we get back on the grass.”
With a little over four weeks until the season opener, the Vols are easing their way into camp, which will pick up speed in the coming days. That setup is especially helpful for newcomers, including true freshman and local Knoxville Catholic High School standout Tyreek King, who made his UT debut Wednesday. King’s elusiveness and explosiveness make him a potential threat in the return game, not just at slot wide receiver.
“Tyreek – typically guys that show up in summer, not the beginning of January enrollee, they’re a little bit outside their element day one when you get on the practice field,” Heupel said. “I thought today, he handled himself extremely well. He’s worked extremely hard physically, adding mass size. He’s extremely explosive, dynamic with the ball in his hands, working some punt return stuff, a skill set there as well.”