UT Vols' Justin Worley to have season-ending surgery

photo Tennessee quarterback Justin Worley

KNOXVILLE -- It's over for Justin Worley.

The shoulder injury the Tennessee senior quarterback sustained in the fourth quarter of the Volunteers' 34-3 loss at Ole Miss more than three weeks ago ultimately ended his season and college career.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones confirmed Tuesday that Worley will have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder and won't play again this season.

"We didn't know about Justin (and his status for the South Carolina game) until late Thursday," Jones said after practice. "I give Justin Worley all the credit in the world. He tried anything and everything to rehabilitate his shoulder back. Just could not get the velocity that he needs."

Also in October, a thumb injury ended his junior year.

Worley took the brunt of the 30 sacks allowed by the Vols' new-look offensive line in the first seven games of this season, and he missed a key stretch of the second half of Tennessee's 35-32 loss at Georgia, when he threw for 264 yards and tossed three touchdown passes.

In 24 career games, Worley was 8-9 as a starter and threw for 3,556 yards with 23 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.

"He was at practice today -- still going to be around the team," Jones said. "Now he goes from player Worley to Coach Worley, and again, he's very, very excited about the victory. He's a true team player and a great character young man as we all know. It's very, very unfortunate."

Not so fast

It still doesn't appear likely that receiver Josh Smith (ankle) will return this season, but the sophomore, who almost certainly would receive a medical redshirt if he doesn't return, is not undergoing surgery this week.

"Josh Smith, contrary to reports, is not going through surgery right now," Jones said. "He's going through a full examination in the next couple of days to determine if he does need surgery. If that full examination comes to play that it would help his progression, then he will have surgery, but right now we're waiting on a full examination."

Good timing

The Vols appear to be taking full advantage of the season's second open date, as tight end Ethan Wolf appeared to be the only starter on Haslam Field during the open period of Tuesday's practice and many of the players who spoke to the media after practice were in workout gear.

Instead, Tennessee chose to focus on some of their reserves.

"The bye week is coming at the appropriate time," Jones said. "We have to get some issues corrected immediately for this three-game stretch. One of the biggest growing concerns on our football is just our overall depth. The accumulation of reps now throughout the course of a long season is taking its toll."

A couple of players certainly didn't appear to upset to get some time off for rest after a six-game stretch.

"I'm an older guy now, so I'm not going to be like, 'I want to go out and bang people at practice no more,'" linebacker A.J. Johnson said. "I want to be smart and get my body right and stuff. I'm glad Coach Jones did that. He knows what he's doing with the team, so it'll get us fresh and ready to go for this next game against Kentucky."

Jones said the Vols had a defensive tackle play "80 some-odd snaps" with other players seeing their snap count reach the 90s in the overtime win at South Carolina.

The depth-building emphasis starts on the defensive line with the likes of Dimarya Mixon, Kendal Vickers and LaTroy Lewis, and Jones singled out linebacker Jakob Johnson and defensive backs Todd Kelly and Rashaan Gaulden as other players the Vols will need down the stretch.

Wolf watch

The first freshman to start at tight end in Tennessee history, Wolf has been productive in all seven games he's played, though he's not been 100 percent since hurting his knee against Arkansas State in the season's second game.

Wolf has 17 catches for 150 yards with a reception in every game he's played.

"That's the impact I wanted to have," he said. "A catch is a catch, but I'd like them to be meaningful catches. I think most of them have, and I think every catch is really a meaningful catch. It's definitely the impact I wanted to have, and things are going well right now."

Great Scott

After tailback Marlin Lane left South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium on crutches after suffering an apparent leg injury in the third quarter, the Vols may have to look to freshman Derrell Scott to spell Jalen Hurd down the stretch.

The former four-star recruit ran for 42 yards on nine carries against UT-Chattanooga, recorded just two carries at Ole Miss and hasn't played since.

"We'll continue to force-feed Derrell Scott," Jones said. "This bye week is very, very important to him just with the overall knowledge of the offense and getting in game shape. Derrell is an individual who missed all of training camp and wasn't here in the spring. That really set him back and (he) missed a few games. Now he's just kind of getting into a rhythm.

"We're going to rely more on him."

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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