Tennessee coach comments on senior CB Kamal Hadden's progress ahead of 2023 season
Tennessee Vols redshirt senior cornerback Kamal Hadden was a polarizing player last season for UT. Hadden, who has elite athleticism, played well at times last year. But at other times, he let his emotions get the best of him and it severely impacted his play (Hadden had a 63.3 PFF grade last season, which was […]
Tennessee Vols redshirt senior cornerback Kamal Hadden was a polarizing player last season for UT.
Hadden, who has elite athleticism, played well at times last year. But at other times, he let his emotions get the best of him and it severely impacted his play (Hadden had a 63.3 PFF grade last season, which was third best among cornerbacks on Tennessee's roster, behind Brandon Turnage and Doneiko Slaughter).
Tennessee's loss to South Carolina was a particularly rough game for Hadden last season.
The Michigan native, however, is poised to be a starter again for the Vols this fall. And while that might not be a popular decision among Tennessee fans, it could end up being a move that works out quite well for the UT in 2023.
Vols secondary coach Willie Martinez spoke to reporters on Tuesday and he seemed pleased with the progress that he's seen from Hadden this offseason.
"He's been very consistent since January," said Martinez when asked about Hadden. "Every day, it's been the small details that matter. Let's talk about off the field — he's always been good off the field. But he's really made a point this last semester, spring and summer — you know, he just graduated. That's something really big to accomplish. He did it with a 3.2 GPA. He was one of those 75 to 90 guys that were over the 3.0 average so that's giving him confidence. The small details of being healthy enough to get through spring. This is the first spring he's ever made [it through] since he's been here. That gave him a chance to develop with his teammates and see where he would be at on a consistent basis. And he showed that through the summer and now in camp. So that consistency, attention to small details, being a good teammate. That's [somewhere] he has grown."
If the Vols are going to compete for a conference championship in 2023, they'll need Hadden to step up and reach his potential. Hadden has NFL talent if he can put it all together (he was listed on Tuesday by The Athletic's Dane Brugler as one of the top 25 senior cornerbacks for the 2024 NFL Draft).
If Hadden can play like a future NFL cornerback, it'll make life a lot easier on Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks in 2023.
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Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
