Chase McGrath discusses his time at Tennessee
Redshirt senior kicker Chase McGrath transferred to Tennessee from USC ahead of the 2021 season.
McGrath has made three field goals in three attempts this season for the Vols. The 6-foot, 195-pound kicker is also 9-of-9 in extra point attempts.
Ahead of the Vols’ Week 3 contest against Tennessee Tech, McGrath met with media. Below is a transcript of McGrath’s media availability provided by the University of Tennessee.
On his thought process going into a kick
“The thought process for every kick is the same really, no matter if it’s a PAT or a long field goal. Our special teams unit, we’ve put in a lot of work this offseason and Paxton (Brooks) is a great holder. Matthew (Salansky) is a great snapper. I have full confidence in them to do their job, which is a big thing for me. Having trust in my snapper and my holder to get the ball down on time is everything. They’ve made my job really easy so far.”
On why he chose to transfer to Tennessee
“The opportunity to come here and play in the SEC. The coaches here are amazing, I really enjoy playing for coach (Mike) Ekeler and coach Heupel. There are a lot of great guys here.”
NEXT: Chase McGrath’s media availability (continued)
On having other USC transfers in the program
“That was also a main reason for coming over here. Right when I hit the portal, I was talking with Velus (Jones Jr.) because he was my roommate for two years at USC, actually. Me and him are extremely close. I was hoping for an opportunity to come here, and it came through. Velus being here was amazing when I first arrived in the spring. He made the transition a lot easier. This is the first time I’ve moved across the country. I’m from Southern California, lived in Southern California my whole life, went to USC, which is like 45 minutes from my house. It was a tough transition at first, but Velus being here made it really easy. Then Caleb (Tremblay) came along this summer. He’s my roommate now here. It’s been seamless.”
On experiencing the gameday traditions at UT
“It’s been awesome. The Vol Walk was insane for me. We had something similar (at USC), but the amount of fans here is on another level. We walk for at least four or five minutes longer than we did at USC, and people are just going crazy. It’s been awesome. Running through the T was really cool. It’s an honor to be a part of that tradition and the fans here, compared to where I was previously, those would be big games, just with the number of people and how engaged the fans are. It’s been fun to play in front of a fanbase that really cares. It’s awesome.”
