Quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be able to hear Tennessee football coaches talk to him through a helmet earpiece this season.
Coach Josh Heupel developed UT’s offense, and offensive coordinator Joey Halzle helps operate it. They share play-calling duties.
So that raises an obvious question: Which coach will talk to Iamaleava?
“Offensively, Joey (Halzle) and myself,” Heupel said after UT’s first preseason practice on Wednesday.
So both coaches will get their turn to bark instructions to Iamaleava, and Heupel said that shouldn’t be a problem.
“(I) don’t believe (so). We haven’t actually had like the true game day set,” Heupel said. “But we should have that fully operational as we go over there (to Neyland Stadium) for (intrasquad) scrimmages.”
Heupel said defensive coordinator Tim Banks will be the lone speaker to middle linebacker Keenan Pili.
Will helmet radio slow down or speed up Tennessee offense?
The one-way communication devices will be implemented into college football this season after being a staple in the NFL for several years.
One player on each side of the ball will be allowed to have a radio in their helmet, and they’ll be identified by a green dot on their helmet.
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A coach can talk to the player, but the player can only listen. Communication will shut off with 15 seconds remaining on the play clock.
But UT touts the fastest operating offense in college football. It relies on players receiving hand signals from the sideline and quickly running plays before the defense can adjust.
So the Vols might not utilize the communication device as much as other teams because it could slow their tempo.
One possibility is that players could still receive the play call via hand signals, but Iamaleava could get a quick instruction from Heupel or Halzle right before the snap of the ball – which usually occurs before the 15-second shut-off in UT’s offense.
For now, the Vols are experimenting with the communication devices to determine if they help or hurt the pace and execution of their offense.
“Quarterbacks get tired of hearing us in the headsets,” Heupel said. “But it’s unique. You got to plan for it. You got to be ready if it goes out. At times there are issues that occur with headsets. You got to pre-plan for that, too.
“So it’s an opportunity, it’s a tool to use. We’re trying to be intentional about how we do that on both sides of the ball and, at the same time, you’ve got to be ready to operate without it.”
But first, UT must decide which coach, or coaches, should talk to Iamaleava in those precious seconds before the snap. That’s a work in progress.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee offense, Nico Iamaleava may go faster with helmet radio
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