5 Tennessee football players who improved their stock during spring practice

Spring practice is a chance for players to improve their standing on the depth chart. A few Tennessee players did so.

Here’s a look at five Vols who helped their cause this spring.

RB Jeremy Banks

Jeremy Banks began his freshman season with promise, but being prone to fumbles and penalties caused his playing time to disappear in the second half of the season.

He hit the reset button nicely this spring. Ty Chandler will remain the team’s top running back, but behind him, the depth chart is unsettled with Tim Jordan, Banks and freshman Eric Gray under consideration.

Each probably will play in some capacity, but the number of carries often drops off significantly from the No. 2 to No. 3 running back, so winning the backup job as opposed to third-string is noteworthy.

Working with the second-team offense, Banks rushed for 23 yards on seven carries in the spring game and added five receptions — four more than he had last season.

“He’s doing a really good job,” running backs coach David Johnson said. “We kind of emphasized ball security, and I think he’s becoming really smart about what he’s doing, kind of understanding the position a little bit. He’s one of the hardest workers you’re going to have. This kid loves football.”

DE Matthew Butler

Matthew Butler lingered at the end of the roster the past two seasons, and you could be excused forgetting he existed.

But the loss of three senior starting defensive linemen and a key reserve from last season led to a wide-open competition for those jobs up front this spring. Butler seized the opportunity and earned a starting spot with the first-team defense in the spring game, during which he logged a sack.

“He’s been the (defensive lineman) that’s probably excited me the most,” defensive line coach Tracy Rocker said.

OL K’Rojhn Calbert

Who would’ve wagered that K’Rojhn Calbert would exit the spring as Tennessee’s first-string right guard? Probably not many.

Calbert is finally healthy. He missed all of the 2017 season after he twice tore his anterior cruciate ligament in high school. He appeared in 10 games last season but didn’t make any starts.

At 6-foot-5, 330 pounds, he looks the part.

“K’Rojhn has had a really good spring,” offensive line coach Will Friend said. “He brings a size and a physical strength that we need.”

WR Josh Palmer

Josh Palmer is unlike the rest of the names on this list because he entered the spring as a returning starter.

But Palmer wasn’t an all-around wide receiver last season. Basically, he was a guy who ran really fast in a straight line and caught passes on fly routes. He turned 23 receptions into 484 yards.

This spring offered evidence that Palmer can be more than that. Take his touchdown catch in the spring game, for example, when Palmer caught a pass in traffic over the middle. He caught touchdown passes in UT’s other two spring scrimmages, too.

Palmer received the Harvey Robinson Award for being the most improved offensive player of the spring.

LB Shanon Reid

Tennessee returned starting inside linebackers Daniel Bituli and Darrin Kirkland Jr. from last season. If someone was going to unseat them, logic suggested it would be ballyhooed freshman Quavaris Crouch or Will Ignont, a rotation regular last season.

Reid, who made six tackles through two seasons at Tennessee, bulked up in the offseason and shot up the depth chart.

Kirkland did not practice this spring, and his college career might be finished due to lingering knee issues, so Tennessee needs a new starter alongside Bituli. Reid won the spot for the spring game and will look to hold off Ignont and Crouch in August.

“I really like Shanon as a football player,” Pruitt said. “He’s kind of a runner and hitter. He’s got good athletic ability. He’s not the biggest guy, but that’s OK. He’s a guy that needs to play a lot of ball.

"When he knows what to do, he has a chance to be successful. His negatives have been him not knowing what to do at times. That’s something that he can control, and he’s working hard at it.”

Blake Toppmeyer covers University of Tennessee football. Email him at blake.toppmeyer@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.