More bad news for UT's Williams: ACT score not validated

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More bad news for UT's Williams: ACT score not validated

KNOXVILLE – Defensive end Gerald Williams' long and winding quest to get to Tennessee has hit another roadblock.

The score of 23 he received on the ACT in June wasn't validated, and Coach Phillip Fulmer said Williams had to re-take the test last week. Williams' score was flagged because he made too big of a jump.

"We're supposed to know the results sometime in the next week," Fulmer said.

Classes at UT begin on Wednesday. If this latest test score doesn't meet qualifying standards, he will likely have to attend prep school or junior college.

Cutting it loose: The Vols had a little fun to open Wednesday's practice, as Fulmer allowed all 11 offensive players to call their own plays.

"The receivers wanted to catch a take-off route. The backs did, too. Lineman wanted to show off on screen blocking, so it was just sort of a light-hearted thing at the first part of practice to get them loosened up," Fulmer said.

Johnson returns: Defensive back Marsalous Johnson, who was suspended for the first four games following his arrest on a felony aggravated assault charge earlier this month, has been allowed to return to practice.

Fulmer said the former Smyrna standout hasn't been fully reinstated.

Johnson's next court date is scheduled for Sept. 6 in Putnam County. He also faces possible discipline by UT's office of student affairs.

Hardesty returns: Tailback Montario Hardesty returned to practice on a limited basis after missing the last few days with swelling in his right knee.

Fulmer, though, said he's not sure that Hardesty will get any live scrimmage work this week. Hardesty underwent surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last season.

Props for Coker: Fulmer said some of the best news about the tailback situation has been the way LaMarcus Coker has performed.

The former Antioch star, who admittedly was too heavy at 210 pounds last season, is turning heads on the practice field.

"He's stepping up like you would like," Fulmer said. "He's in shape, maybe for the first time since the sixth grade or something. He's learned how to work and has a nice presence about him, a confidence, demeanor or swagger. It's not cocky, which I thought he had a little bit of that arrogance to him at times before.

"But it's not that at all right now."

Fellows sidelined: Junior cornerback Roshaun Fellows has a torn pectoral muscle and may have to miss the season.

Fulmer said the injury occurred in the spring, but that Fellows has tried to play through the pain. Surgery is a strong possibility. Fellows has used his redshirt year.

"He'll have a lot to say about what he wants to do," Fulmer said. "We need to go ahead and make a decision."

Fellows didn't practice Wednesday.

McNeil gets more reps: Redshirt freshman center Josh McNeil has seen his snaps with the first team increase the last few days. McNeil is battling Michael Frogg for the starting job.

Orange slices: Receiver Slick Shelley practiced in full gear Wednesday for the first time after undergoing abdominal surgery.

• Fulmer said the Vols had one of the best kicking days Wednesday that they've had in the last two or three years.

• The Vols will practice twice today, once in the morning and again at night. Included will be a scrimmage for goal-line and short-yardage situations.

• Fulmer said the plan for Saturday night's full scrimmage is to let the quarterbacks be live targets again. If anything, the coaches didn't think the quarterbacks were hit enough last Saturday when some of the defenders pulled up instead of taking their shots.

—CHRIS LOW