Two former Vols set to face previous team

FAYETTEVILLE — A pair of former Tennessee players will be in the starting lineup for Arkansas on Saturday night.

Defensive back Doneiko Slaughter and center Addison Nichols both transferred to Arkansas at midterm. Each has started all five games this season. Slaughter has 25 tackles, including 17 solo, three pass breakups, one sack and an interception. Sam Pittman was asked this week if the two are getting extra excited for this game.

“I think there’s something to some of that,” Pittman said. “I also think that lasts about four or five plays and then, you know, you get hit in the head and somebody cuts you, somebody knocks hell out of you. And then at that point, it’s about preparation and what you’re made of and the heart and how far hard you want to go. So, I do think there’s something. I think that has to do with preparation. I think whenever you’re wanting to do something so bad, I don’t know that that feeling that you have right before the game is going to help you play a lot better, but I do know that feeling helps you prepare, which then you’ll play better. So, I would assume they’d have that this week.”

Slaughter played in 43 games for Tennessee with 15 starts. He had 87 tackles, 66 solo, 5.5 for loss, three sacks, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, two quarterback hurries and seven pass breakups. Nichols redshirted as a true freshman at Tennessee in 2022 though he did play in two games. He saw action in all 12 games as a reserve in 2023. Tennessee Coach Josh Heupel was asked about his two former players now on the opposite sideline?

“That’s the era of college football that we’re in,” Heupel said. “You have an opportunity to, at times during the season, play some guys that were inside of your own program. Those two guys are really good kids. They do things the right way off the field, they compete extremely hard on the field and both of those guys are playing extremely well for Arkansas right now.”

Pittman was asked what he saw from each of them that made him want to recruit them out of the transfer portal?

“Let’s start with Nico,” Pittman said. “We needed a guy who had played in this league, and played well in this league, at that position. We went after him hard once he got into the portal. So that was very simple. He’s a mature guy, older than his years in maturity. I just really liked him once I got a chance to talk to him.

“With Addison, there was a huge need at that position as well. I knew Addison, I’d recruited him out of high school all the way to his freshman or sophomore year when I was at Georgia. I knew his talent level. And again, it was a position of need. Addison was a little bit different because I’d known him when I was the offensive line coach at Georgia.”

Pittman is pleased that both manage to earn starting spots with the Hogs.

“They’ve been great additions for us,” Pittman said. “To go in the portal, a lot of times you come out and a say, ‘Well, at least we got some more depth.’ To get a guy in the portal and he starts for you, it helps your football team. But it also validates that you’re doing a good job of evaluating who you’re bringing into the program. They’ve both been great additions. They’re both starters for us.”

If Slaughter is extra motivated facing his old team he hasn’t said as much to his teammates said defensive tackle Eric Gregory.

“Not really, not necessarily,” Gregory said. “He’s said a couple of things, just like personnel-wise. But not really. I mean, he hasn’t really said nothing about it. But, I’m pretty sure he’s excited. So is Addison man. I’m pretty sure they’re both excited to get back and play against their old teams.”

Gregory is very pleased to have Slaughter on defense with him even if he isn’t saying much about his former team.

“Man, he was a great addition for us man,” Gregory said. “He’s a leader for us. Especially for the defense as a whole, but especially for the backend, man. He does a lot of communicating with the guys, trying to make sure he gets better and everybody else gets better too man. So, he was a great addition for us.”

Linebacker Brad Spence though does feel that Slaughter is a little different this week than in previous ones.

“I feel like Doneiko is playing with a chip on his shoulder, also Addison.” Spence said. “I see the attitude at practice, he’s practicing way better. He’s practicing faster this week, so I can see the difference in his attitude this week going into Tennessee.”

Nichols has battled an ankle injury he suffered in the Oklahoma State game. Joshua Braun, who plays at guard next to Nichols, has been friends with him before they ever arrived at Arkansas.

“Yeah, I mean, banged up it’s always hard,” Braun said. “But he attacks every day and tries to get better, tries to rehab that ankle. Hopefully he’s past it now. Just speaking from my experience, I know how excited I was to play my former team so I can only imagine what it’s like for him. And then having them here, it’s going to be exciting for him the first quarter but then that goes away pretty quick. And I mean, although they’re your buddies, you’re playing against them. It’s just another layer of the game.”

Arkansas and Tennessee will kickoff at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night and televised on ABC.