GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

Latest Episodes:

Vols football going bowling, Vols hoops rolling Nov 26, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — went into Fort Rucker Studio and Thompson-Boling Arena to discuss all things Tennessee football and basketball.

The Tennessee football team spent the weekend at Missouri — a place it usually struggles — and left Columbia with a 24-20 win over the Tigers. The Vols’ fourth consecutive win also made them bowl-eligible, and that could be a January bowl game in Florida if they take care of Vanderbilt as expected on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

It was wilder than it needed to be at Mizzou, but the Vols found a way to hold on and win a game they comprehensively controlled from a yards-from-scrimmage standpoint.

The first segment of this episode is a quick recap and discussion of the good, bad and ugly of the Tennessee-Mizzou game, with an emphasis placed on the good, because these Vols won only one of their first four games and are now back above .500. How has this team managed to get its head back above water? That’s the main talking point in the first segment — a segment with Wes, Patrick and Ryan.

Hoops takes center stage in the second segment of this episode, with Wes and Grant courtside at Thompson-Boling Arena breaking down the 17th-ranked Vols’ win over Chattanooga on Tuesday night, plus some major basketball recruiting news. The Vols had a rough night offensively against the Mocs, but Tennessee’s defense stifled Chattanooga and made the game a mostly comfortable one. But what in the world happened to Tennessee’s offense? That’s discussed in detail in a segment that ends with some information on Uruguay native Santiago Vescovi’s commitment to the Vols. An already-star-studded Tennessee recruiting class that was ranked No. 3 nationally got another big boost from Vescovi, who’s currently playing at the NBA Global Academy in Australia and could enroll at Tennessee in January and be eligible to play this season and give the Vols some help at the point guard spot. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound Vescovi is the No. 74 overall prospect in the 247Sports rankings, and the newest film on him is really impressive, but can he provide help this season? That’s also discussed in the second segment.

Focus shifts back to football in the third segment, with Wes and Pat at Fort Rucker Studio breaking down the recently improved performance of Tennessee junior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano and some possible bowl destination for the Vols.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols-Mizzou preview, hoops talk, etc. Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened at Fort Rucker Studio (except one segment at Thompson-Boling Arena) to discuss a Tennessee football team and basketball team that are … well … winning at the moment.

The first segment of this episode is a general preview of this weekend’s Tennessee-Missouri game in Columbia, albeit with a few specific themes. Tennessee’s quarterback situation (of course), the nature of this evolving border-battle with the Tigers and some thoughts on how difficult this game is to predict are the main points.

Following a quick injury update, the second segment of this podcast is a Thursday-morning pod staple — answers to questions submitted by members of GoVols247’s CheckerBoard. There were good football and basketball questions submitted this week, as usual, and also some of the hand-to-hand combat questions we’ve been getting for weeks now.

Hoops takes center stage in the third segment of this episode. The 20th-ranked Vols had a business line, blowout win over Alabama State on Wednesday night at Thompson-Boling, with senior guards Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden fittingly reaching the 1,000-career-point mark on the same night.

Much of the Tennessee basketball news at the moment is rose-colored, but not all of it. The wait for an answer from the NCAA regarding the eligibility of talented 7-foot-1 forward Uros Plavsic continues, and news emerged Wednesday night that sophomore big man Zach Kent (another 7-footer) has “stepped away” from the program for non-disciplinary reasons, and it’s unclear whether he’ll return. Discussion of the Kent situation and its impact on the Vols’ frontcourt is also included in the third segment.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols football's big finish, Vols hoops' big start Nov 18, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from their various Knoxville-area homes via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football and basketball.

Second-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his Tennessee football team had their final open date of the regular season last week, and now the stretch run begins for the Vols, who need to beat either Missouri on the road or Vanderbilt at home the next two weekends in order to secure bowl-eligibility for the first time in three years.

Obviously the Vols hope to win both of their final two regular-season games, though, and there’s probably a big carrot on the end of that stick if they accomplish that task. The way things are shaking out, it looks like two wins could perhaps get the Vols to a January bowl game in Florida.

But Tennessee was at this exact same point after 10 games last season, and we all know how that ended, don’t we?

Will this team be any different? Why or why not? That’s the primary discussion point in the first segment of this episode, though there’s also recap from around the SEC, particularly Missouri’s loss to Florida over the weekend in Columbia.

Hoops takes center stage in the second segment of this episode, with Grant joining the podcast shortly after he arrived back in the U.S. and got back to the Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville.

Grant was in Toronto over the weekend to discuss Tennessee basketball’s 75-62 win over 20th-ranked Washington in the James Naismith Classic.

It was a big weekend for Rick Barnes and his Vols, and there’s plenty of good news to discuss on that front. But there are still some questions to answer, and those concerns are discussed, as well.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols open-week chatter, historic hoops signing class, etc. Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker full crew — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened to discuss some big news for the Tennessee football and basketball programs.

Wes, Pat and Ryan convened at Fort Rucker Studio for the first two segments of this episode.

The first segment is a recap of Tennessee football’s plans for this final open-date week in the regular-season schedule. Where do the Vols stand at the moment? What’s OK? What needs to improve? What should they do with the quarterback position moving forward? Those are the main discussion points in the first segment.

As (almost) always, answers to questions submitted on GoVols247’s CheckerBoard are answered in the Thursday morning podcast episode. Those answers usually come in the third segment of the episode, but they got bumped up to the second segment this week.

Hoops takes center stage in segment three of this episode, with Grant joining in from GoVols247’s Blount County Satellite Office in Maryville to discuss Tennessee basketball. There’s a general recap — featuring the good, bad and ugly — of Tennessee’s come-from-behind win over Murray State, and then the discussion shifts toward recruiting. The Vols have the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class, and three of the nation’s top 36 prospects signed with Tennessee on Wednesday, and the Vols might add to that already-ridiculous trio, so there’s tons of good news to discuss on that front.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols-Kentucky recap, big hoops week, etc. Nov 11, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from their own homes throughout the Greater Knoxville Area to discuss another huge win for Tennessee football and a huge week for Tennessee basketball.

Tennessee’s 17-13 win at Kentucky was hardly a thing of beautify, and it times it was excruciating, but a goal-line stand and a clutch performance from one-handed quarterback Jarrett Guarantano helped the Vols defeat their Beer Barrel rivals to the North for the 33rd time in the past 35 years.

What should we make of Tennessee’s performance in Lexington? So much of the game went so badly, and the Vols made more than a half-dozen awful mistakes that could have lost them the game, but they hung tough and found a way to win it. How should the good be weighed with the bad?

There’s plenty of credit to go around for Tennessee in the toughness department, and a few players had outstanding performances, but overall it must be said that the Vols didn’t play well at all. But … a thin team found a way to win for the fourth time in five games, and a team that was 1-4 is now 5-5 and has a precious open date to get some guys some badly-needed rest.

All things Vols-Cats and this week’s open date are discussed for most of the first two segments of this episode, but some time is carved out for recruiting to end the second segment for a big reason. The Vols on Sunday night got a commitment from Nate Evans, a 2021 athlete from Virginia Beach, Va., who’s really high on their big board.

Football remains the main topic for the first part of the third segment, including descriptions from Grant, who was stood at field level for the goal-line stand that essentially ended the game.

Conversation then shifts toward the Tennessee basketball program, though, because the Vols have a big week on the court and the recruiting trail. The Vols have two games this week — a Tuesday game against reigning Round of 32 NCAA Tournament team Murray State, and a Saturday game against Washington in Toronto — and in between they’re scheduled to sign one of the most touted recruiting classes in program history. And they’re probably not done with that ridiculous class, either. So there’s plenty of hoops to discuss, as well.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Bama edge rusher commits to Tennessee Nov 08, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s Wes Rucker (from Fort Rucker Studio) and Ryan Callahan (from across town at his house) convened via the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Jimari Butler’s commitment to Tennessee.

Butler, a 6-foot-5, 218-pound edge rusher from Mobile, Ala., didn’t play football until his senior season at Murphy High School, but the former basketball player emerged as a fast learner and a fast-rising prospect on the field. He’s had a really big senior season, drawing interest from several Power-5 programs, and Tennessee finally took the plunge and offered him last month.

Edge rusher is a serious need for Tennessee in the 2020 class, and Jeremy Pruitt and Co. absolutely love Butler’s upside at a premium position.

Tennessee’s staff is full of coaches with close ties to the Mobile area, and those coaches obviously saw and heard enough about Butler to put him so high on the board. What did they see in Butler? How high is his upside? How long will he need to develop before being SEC-ready? And what’s next for Tennessee at edge rusher in this class? Those are the primary talking points of this breaking-news episode.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Beer Barrel preview, hoops chatter, etc. Nov 07, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey —convened at Fort Rucker Studio and then Tennessee’s Anderson Training Center for all the latest from another busy week for Vols football and basketball.

Football-basketball crossover season always features tons of news, so this episode features four segments rather than the usual three.

All things Beer Barrel take center stage in the first segment. Tennessee plays at longtime rival Kentucky on Saturday night in Lexington, and there’s plenty to discuss heading into that big game. Both the Vols and Wildcats have quarterback conundrums heading into the game, adding another level of intrigue to a game that’s already really important for both teams.

Tennessee football recruiting is the primary discussion point in the second segment of this episode. It’s been an interesting week for the Vols on that front, leaving some good news (the commitment of 370-pound Texas offensive lineman Kyree Miller) and some bad news (top-100 defensive line prospect Jay Hardy shocking the Vols and everyone else by committing to Auburn) to discuss. Where did things go wrong with Hardy? Is there any way for Tennessee to flip him? Where do the Vols go from here to address a position of serious need in the 2020 class? Those are the primary talking points of the second segment.

As usual, answers to questions submitted on GoVols247’s CheckerBoard are featured in the third segment of the Thursday morning episode.

Vols hoops joins the party in the fourth segment of this episode, and there’s a ton to discuss on that front, as well. Tennessee’s comfortable season-opening win over UNC Asheville on Tuesday night at Thompson-Boling Arena offered plenty of promise and plenty of questions, as expected for a team that lost four players to the NBA after last season. A discussion on all things Tennessee basketball — including an update on the ongoing eligibility battle for 7-foot-1 forward Uros Plavsic — takes over in the fourth segment.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols-UAB recap, hoops talk, etc. Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from various homes in the Knoxville area through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee football’s 30-7 win over UAB and the start of Tennessee basketball season.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, but there’s no such thing as an ugly win for Tennessee football at the moment, and the Vols’ 30-7 win over UAB got them one step closer to securing bowl-eligibility — something that didn’t seem plausible when the team stumbled to a 1-4 record heading into the teeth of its schedule.

Tennessee’s offense never really clicked against an UAB defense that’s ranked near the top nationally in most major categories, but Tennessee’s defense and special teams more than made up for that. The Vols forced four turnovers — three of them interceptions from sophomore cornerback Bryce Thompson — and got a huge performance from junior kicker Brent Cimaglia, and they had a 30-0 lead before backing off and playing reserves for practically the entire fourth quarter.

An overall game recap — the highs, the lows and everything in between — is the main focus of the first segment.

Quarterbacks — who else, right? — take center stage in the second segment, as the Vols’ odyssey with Jarrett Guarantano, Brian Maurer and J.T. Shrout took another interesting turn against the Blazers. A discussion on all things quarterback and where the Vols go from here with that is the primary talking point.

This also was a big weekend for Tennessee recruiting, though, with some really important visitors — including five-star Las Vegas tight end Darnell Washington — in town for official or unofficial visits. Ryan, as usual, has the latest scoop on all things recruiting to cap the second segment.

After a brief concussion on football chatter to start the third segment, basketball takes center stage down the stretch. Tennessee clearly is furious with the NCAA consistently throwing up roadblocks for 7-foot-1 redshirt freshman Uros Plavsic to play this season, but the Vols are still fighting for the big Serbian and plan to exhaust every appeal to get him on the court. Tennessee’s reasons for being so adamant that Plavsic be allowed to play this season are discussed in detail, and then discussion shifts toward what the Vols need to do if the NCAA doesn’t cave at the last minute and allow the big man on the court.

With or without Plavsic, Tennessee’s regular season tips off Tuesday night against UNC Asheville, so there’s plenty of basketball to discuss, and this episode does just that.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols-UAB preview, hoops recap, etc. Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened at Fort Rucker Studio and then Thompson-Boling Arena to discuss plenty of Tennessee football and basketball topics heading into a big period for both programs.

The first two segments of this episode are focused on football, with Wes, Patrick and Ryan convening in Fort Rucker Studio to discuss Jeremy Pruitt’s rapidly improving Vols. The first segment is a preview of Saturday’s game against better-than-you-think UAB and how concerned the Vols should be heading into a matchup with the 6-1 Blazers. It also features an update on Tennessee’s situation at quarterback — where two of the team’s three scholarship players have recently suffered injuries — and some injury updates on key players on both lines of scrimmage.

Answers to questions from GoVols247 subscribers on The CheckerBoard is usually the third segment on the Thursday morning podcast, but a tweak to the schedule bumped that up to the second segment this week. As always, there were some interesting questions from members of the best online community of Vols fans on Planet Earth.

The third and final segment of this episode was recorded courtside at Thompson-Boling early Thursday morning, with Wes and Grant breaking down the good, the bad and the in-between from Tennessee’s 107-59 win over Eastern New Mexico on Wednesday night. The game ended at approximately 9 p.m. Eastern, but after postgame interviews with coaches and players, writing stories, shooting and editing video and editing photos, Wes and Grant waited a few minutes after the final out of Game Seven of the World Series to regather courtside and discuss the game we’d just covered.

Was there some good on display Wednesday night? Sure. Was there some head-scratchers on display? Sure. Does all of this look incomplete without the presence of Uros Plavsic, who’s awaiting word from the NCAA regarding his eligibility status for this season? Sure.

Bottom line: There was more good than bad, but some of the bad might have been a sign of things to come early this season. And the Vols don’t wait long before stepping up and playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules.

An injury to Knoxville native Drew Pember — a freshman big man for these Vols — put a sour ending on an otherwise solid exhibition finale, but we’ll see how long he’ll have to stay on the shelf. Tennessee’s staff was treating him well into the night after that win.

Regardless, there’s plenty of hoops to discuss, and discuss we did.

This week’s first GoVols247 Podcast episode — an episode featuring a recap of Tennessee’s win over South Carolina and some hoops discussion — can be found HERE.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Monday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Vols smash South Carolina in statement win Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

GoVols247’s full staff — Wes Rucker, Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Grant Ramey — convened from various homes in the Knoxville area through the magic of Al Gore’s Internets to discuss Tennessee’s 41-21 win over South Carolina on Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

A significant amount of adversity leading into the game and early in the game itself served as a backdrop for one of the most significant second halves for the Vols in a long time. Tennessee played three quarterbacks, none of whom were the team’s starter. The Vols had several injuries occur during the game. They had a few really tough calls go against them, and they allowed a 75-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first play.

None of that crushed Tennessee’s will to win, though, and the Vols found a way to win a game that was really important in the moment and could be even more important for the future.

How did Tennessee pull off such a stunning second half in all three phases of the game? What led to that moment? What does that game mean moving forward? How can the Vols find a way to finish stronger than they did last season? In what areas does this team still need to improve in a hurry? And how impactful could some of Saturday's injuries be for this team? Those are the main discussion points in the first two segments.

The third segment switches gear, though, to talk Tennessee basketball. The Vols host Eastern New Mexico in a Wednesday night exhibition at Thompson-Boling Arena, and the regular season opens six days later against UNC Asheville. The Vols lost so many important players from the nucleus that brought the program back from the ashes, but some of those faces are still with the team, and some new, exciting prospects are also in the mix — but one of those new faces (7-foot-1 redshirt freshman Uros Plavsic) is still waiting to hear from the NCAA regarding his eligibility this season.

It’s officially football-and-basketball crossover season, so there’s plenty to discuss. This episode hits on the main talking points to get your week started.

The next GoVols247 Podcast episode will be released Thursday morning, unless breaking news occurs before that point.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected