I like a reasonable argument.
Why the DLine may be better than expected and why it may not be so good.
Okay, I'm on a computer now. Let's start with the
dramatis personae, shall we??
Returning Players:
54 Jordan Williams - Senior
96 Trevarris Saulsberry - RS Junior
69 Allan Carson - RS Junior
95 Danny O'Brien - RS Sophomore
42 Charles Folger - RS Sophomore
4 LaTroy Lewis - RS Sophomore
89 Jaylen Miller - Sophomore
50 Corey Vereen - Sophomore
39 Kendal Vickers - RS Freshman
Incoming Players:
58 Owen Williams - RS Junior
72 Michael Sawyers - Freshman
52 Joe Henderson - Freshman
40 Dimarya Mixon - Freshman
9 Derek Barnett - Freshman
8 Dewayne Hendrix - Freshman
?? Charles Mosley - Freshman
Okay, here's where the fun begins. Looking at the "returning players" list, my first thought is "holy crap, where's the depth??". Williams has talent, as does Vereen. Behind that (second-tier, if you will).....there's not a lot of "wow" there. This isn't me bashing the players, y'all, I promise you that. O'Brien has HUGE amounts of potential, I seem to remember Lewis getting some praise, and Saulsberry was showing promise before the injury. Carson/Folger/Miller/Vickers, I just don't know about. Carson IIRC can't stay healthy; I have no idea who Folger even is, and the other two are in their second year, so the jury's still kind of out on them. But, as they say......there's another side to the story.
Lads and lasses, I dunno if y'all noticed......but we have one hell of a good recruiting class coming in. There's not a guy on the "incoming" list that I can look at and say "that guy doesn't have the ability/talent to be a starter one day". Maybe one of y'all can, but I can't. We've seen all the videos, we've followed the recruitment, we know (or have a pretty good idea of) what these incoming freshmen are bringing to Rocky Top. We have speed at the DE position with Henderson and Mixon, blunt force trauma with Hendrix and Barnett, and mountains in the middle with Mosley, Williams and Sawyers. I'm excited to see these kids play, as I know the rest of y'all are, too.
(*pause for a moment and think of this: 3rd and long with Vereen and Henderson at the ends with Sawyers and Williams clogging the middle*)
But, I digress from the original question/topic. Why might the DL be better than expected?? Look at the talent we have coming in. That talent's going to push what we already have to get better, and if what we have now doesn't get better......they get passed up and get to ride pine. No simpler way of putting it than that.
Why might the DL be worse than expected?? Remember when I said (paraphrasing)"I don't even know who this guy is"?? We're relying on a LOT of freshmen to come in and make an immediate impact. It's something that I can see them doing.....but it's also the SEC. (knock on wood and God forbid) If we hit a rash of injuries, the DL play at UT has the potential to be worse than it was during the tenure of the Italian dude that came over from the Gumps.
My thoughts?? I think we're going to be pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, there's not going to be a single redshirt to be had on the DL. The new kids are gonna have to play and play well. However, I think they're talented enough and GOOD enough to do just that, without much of a dropoff from what's already here.
And oh, yeah.......GO BIG ORANGE.