'16 KS DT Alexis Johnson (UT commit 6/16/15)

[engineerVOL]

OW was our best DT IMO, if AJ is an upgrade to that the the staff just hit it out of the park!

No, not your opinion, that's fact. Owen is under appreciated. Shy would have probably been the best tackle by the end if he year but OW was boss hog.

 

[AV_12]

No, not your opinion, that's fact. Owen is under appreciated. Shy would have probably been the best tackle by the end if he year but OW was boss hog.

Agreed

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

4 star by Rivals, ranked #12 in JUCO ranking and the #1 DT.

 

[engineerVOL]

No. 1 DTs are a good thing to have.

 

[Aesius]

It seemed like this guy was in for a huge bump back in the summer. Farrell or one of the other national Rivals guys made it sound like he would be a 5*.

 

[butchna]

Siap, I just came in on the last few posts. I swear, it seems like every time we throw to the tight end in critical situations Ellis is in there, and he drops it half the time. And every time he does, it reminds me of one of the preseason practice vids where he dropped almost every single shot from the jugs machine. Ha ha. Hard to gripe too much since he's gone from a walk-on to a key backup. But drives me nuts since Wolf catches even the ones where Dobbs turns him completely around.

Ellis is gone after this season...recalibrate.

 

[LittleVol]

Another JUCO DT. William worked out well.

Khalil McKienzie
Shy Tuttle
Danny O'brien

Kendal Vickers
Alexis Johnson
Quay Picou

With contributions from Dimarya Mixon and Latroy Lewis

DE
My goodness
Derek Barnett
Corey Vereen....

Kyle Phillips
Latroy Lewis
Kongbo

Darrel Taylor
Austin Smith (OLB)

Linebackers
Jaylen Reeves-Maybin (the best defender in the SEC)
- over 200 career tackles
- the best LB since Jerrod Mayo


Darrin Kirkland!


Cortez McDowell..


Austin Smith (DE)


And finally...



Safety
Kelly,Warrior, Berry, Jennings!!!!

CB Martin
Osbourne!

NB Foreman....

Gaulden..in time.

 

[walkenvol]

Don't forger Butcher if he wanders in from I-40.

 

[ajvol01]

Another JUCO DT. William worked out well.

Khalil McKienzie
Shy Tuttle
Danny O'brien

Kendal Vickers
Alexis Johnson
Quay Picou

With contributions from Dimarya Mixon and Latroy Lewis

DE
My goodness
Derek Barnett
Corey Vereen....

Kyle Phillips
Latroy Lewis
Kongbo

Darrel Taylor
Austin Smith (OLB)

Linebackers
Jaylen Reeves-Maybin (the best defender in the SEC)
- over 200 career tackles
- the best LB since Jerrod Mayo


Darrin Kirkland!


Cortez McDowell..


Austin Smith (DE)


And finally...



Safety
Kelly,Warrior, Berry, Jennings!!!!

CB Martin
Osbourne!

NB Foreman....

Gaulden..in time.

For LB rotation don't sleep on Gavin Bryant. Dude can lay the wood

 

[engineerVOL]

For LB rotation don't sleep on Gavin Bryant. Dude can lay the wood

And that's about extent of his services. KO coverage extraordinaire but he won't play here anything meaningful on defense.

 

[ajvol01]

And that's about extent of his services. KO coverage extraordinaire but he won't play here anything meaningful on defense.

Completely disagree.

I vividly remember Al Wilson, Dwayne Goodrich, Eric Westmoreland as big hitters on KO coverage during their freshman and sophomore years.

Says nothing about his potential at LB. Not everyone is ready to start as s freshman or sophomore.

 

[snowvols]

And that's about extent of his services. KO coverage extraordinaire but he won't play here anything meaningful on defense.

Good Lord...He's a RS FR.

 

[engineerVOL]

Different era for Al Wilson though Al is far superior athletically than GB. Bryant was pumped by Thig just like Jakob.

 

[engineerVOL]

Good Lord...He's a RS FR.

And DK is a true frosh who already took his job.

 

[ajvol01]

Different era for Al Wilson though Al is far superior athletically than GB. Bryant was pumped by Thig just like Jakob.

Don't disagree about Al, but not sure how you've already written off Bryant completely.

Ellix Wilson was an unknown until he had a great senior year.

 

[butchna]

Don't forger Butcher if he wanders in from I-40.

You're just gonna live off that, huh?

 

[engineerVOL]

Don't disagree about Al, but not sure how you've already written off Bryant completely.

Ellix Wilson was an unknown until he had a great senior year.

I feel like Elliott Berry will be like an Ellix Wilson type. Overshadowed and then nearly all SEC as a senior. Kind of the same build.

 

[Smokey49]

Different era for Al Wilson though Al is far superior athletically than GB. Bryant was pumped by Thig just like Jakob.

Interesting perspective but hope you're wrong.

 

[engineerVOL]

Interesting perspective but hope you're wrong.

Believe me. I do too.

 

[jbr82]

And that's about extent of his services. KO coverage extraordinaire but he won't play here anything meaningful on defense.

It appears to be that way

 

[The Breakerboy]

Different era for Al Wilson though Al is far superior athletically than GB. Bryant was pumped by Thig just like Jakob.

Bryant has been one of our head hunters on Kickoff coverage units this year. DK is going to be elite at MLB though. I don't think it'll be a better MLB in the SEC next season. He's going to be that good with his speed and playmaking ability. His improvement really helped key our defense. Late in the year he was playing at the level of JRM.

 

[Pacer92]

I feel like Elliott Berry will be like an Ellix Wilson type. Overshadowed and then nearly all SEC as a senior. Kind of the same build.

That would be nice. I'd feel good with Elliot in the 2 deep next year. Berrys make plays, no doubt..

 

[BigOrangeD]

Bryant has been one of our head hunters on Kickoff coverage units this year. DK is going to be elite at MLB though. I don't think it'll be a better MLB in the SEC next season. He's going to be that good with his speed and playmaking ability. His improvement really helped key our defense. Late in the year he was playing at the level of JRM.

:good!: I would sure like to see Bryant and Bates get some time at LB next year. Of course that is only if they know what to do.

 

[2ez2dv8]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kScfSZuwtAw[/youtube]

 

[flowd82]

Expectation: In the defensive line rotation

Reasoning: With the loss of Owen Williams as well as a recovering Shy Tuttle at the defensive tackle position, the Vols need some immediate help along the defensive interior which is why Johnson was an important get over the summer. Johnson and Williams are different types of players. Johnson is considered more of a run stopper. With a defensive line group who's most talented players are young and still relatively inexperienced, it was important for the Vols to add to their rotation with a junior college player who could come in and make an impact in the rotation thanks to his maturity and strength levels. As the old adage says, you don't sign junior college players to sit and watch.

-VQ.