Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel made a subtle comment on Monday that hinted at a potential depth chart change that could be on the way. 

While speaking with reporters on Monday, Heupel was asked specifically about true freshman cornerback Rickey Gibson, who saw some action (11 snaps) in Tennessee's loss to the Florida Gators this past weekend. 

Heupel noted that the Vols need Gibson to grow "quickly". 

"Rickey went in the ball game (against Florida), he’s somebody that is continuing to gain trust from our coaching staff," said Heupel. "He’s athletic. He’s done a good job on special teams. Got an opportunity to play some on Saturday night on defense. I said it to him today, we need him to grow quickly.”

It's no secret that Tennessee's cornerback play was less than stellar on Saturday night against Florida. 

One particularly rough moment came on the Gators' first offensive drive of the night. 

Florida converted a third-and-11 after Tennessee cornerback Kamal Hadden got lost in coverage and allowed Gators wide receiver Eugene Wilson to sit at the first down marker and wait for the pass from Graham Mertz. 

As you can see in the still shot above, Hadden just gets completely turned around, which allowed Florida to easily convert the third-and-11. 

Fortunately for the Vols, the drive ended with a missed field goal. But the cornerback issues would show up a few more times over the course of the game. 

Heupel's comment about Gibson, a former three-star recruit from Alabama who joined UT last December ahead the Orange Bowl, certainly seems to suggest that he isn't thrilled with what he's seen so far from Tennessee's cornerbacks. 

Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks and cornerbacks coach Willie Martinez have consistently talked about playing players they trust while putting a premium on experience. 

That's what makes Heupel's comment about Gibson continuing to gain the staff's trust so important. Banks and Martinez aren't going to play Gibson unless they trust him. 

Gibson gaining that trust combined with the early struggles from the cornerbacks means we could see the true freshman jump up the depth chart pretty soon (or at least play more snaps, even if the actual depth chart doesn't change). 

If the Vols are going to beat teams like South Carolina and Texas A&M, let alone Alabama and Georgia, they'll need better cornerback play this season. And Gibson could help provide that as he continues to gain important game reps. 

Familiar face will return to the field at Neyland Stadium when UTSA takes on the Tennessee Vols

A familiar face will return to the field at Neyland Stadium when UTSA takes on the Tennessee Vols on Saturday