Josh Heupel gives Cedric Tillman, Warren Burrell injury updates for Tennessee football

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said he is "hopeful" injured wide receiver Cedric Tillman could play against LSU after an off week.

"Obviously we're a long ways away from game time," Heupel said Wednesday. "We're hopeful that (Tillman) will continue to make progress and be available when we go down there."

Heupel had a similar response to the status of cornerbacks Warren Burrell and Dee Williams and running back Dylan Sampson, who have been out with injuries.

"We'll see where we get to when we get to next week," Heupel said. "That's the advantage of a bye week, that we can see where we're at."

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Quarterback Hendon Hooker suffered an upper-body injury against Florida last week and acknowledged discomfort after the game. But Heupel said Hooker practiced on Wednesday.

"He was out there (Wednesday), looked good," Heupel said. "We anticipate no problems."

No. 9 Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) will play at LSU (3-1, 1-0) on Oct. 8 (noon ET, ESPN). Then the Vols will host No. 2 Alabama (4-0, 1-0) on Oct. 15.

Tillman suffered an ankle injury against Akron on Sept. 17 when he jumped to make a catch and took a hard hit on his lower leg. Burrell started the first two games, but he has missed the past two games with an undisclosed injury.

Williams, a junior college transfer, has yet to make his Tennessee debut. Sampson, a speedy freshman, has rushed for 89 yards and three TDs in three games, serving as a third back behind Jabari Small and Jaylen Wright.

How Tennessee has managed without Tillman, Burrell

The Vols would like to be closer to full strength for their first SEC road game at LSU, but that’s uncertain. They coped reasonably well in a 38-33 win over Florida.

Without Tillman, Hooker still passed for 349 yards against the Gators because of career-best performances by Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton. McCoy had 102 yards receiving and one TD. Keyton had 69 yards receiving, including a 43-yard catch in a 99-yard touchdown drive that turned the game.

"Saturday was a great example of this being the greatest team sport that there is because the next man inevitably is going to have to step up," Heupel said. "You saw that in multiple ways. Ramel's catch is a great example, but that's just one play he made.

"The greatest tribute you can give to him is that there wasn't anything different about we did (despite Tillman being out)."

Tennessee didn't go deep into its roster on offense. Only 13 players got snaps on offense against Florida, including three receivers, according to Pro Football Focus.

But 25 players played on defense, including eight defensive backs. But deepening the rotation didn't slow Florida's air attack, as Anthony Richardson passed for a career-high 453 yards.

Tennessee's pass defense ranks No. 128 among 131 FBS schools. Burrell and Williams would provide more options in a struggling secondary when they return.

Reach Adam Sparks at adam.sparks@knoxnews.com and on Twitter @AdamSparks.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Cedric Tillman, Warren Burrell injury updates for Tennessee football