3Tennessee
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Not just Barnett, we also lose Vereen and Lewis at DE. With only Phillips returning at DE, Kongbo is going to be needed at the position. On the other hand, we return everyone at DT, Tuttle, Mckenzie, Vickers, Mixon, and outside of another crazy freak injury year, I'm not sure Kongbo will be needed at DT.
Derek beat his number of sacks in 3 years, but I haven't compared their other stats. I have slept since Reggie was here, but most of his games were against SEC competition too. I do know Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech were not on Reggie's schedule. This thing could get argued 50 ways from Sunday.
I am just glad I got to see both in orange.
Derek beat his number of sacks in 3 years, but I haven't compared their other stats. I have slept since Reggie was here, but most of his games were against SEC competition too. I do know Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech were not on Reggie's schedule. This thing could get argued 50 ways from Sunday.
I am just glad I got to see both in orange.
Not just Barnett, we also lose Vereen and Lewis at DE. With only Phillips returning at DE, Kongbo is going to be needed at the position. On the other hand, we return everyone at DT, Tuttle, Mckenzie, Vickers, Mixon, and outside of another crazy freak injury year, I'm not sure Kongbo will be needed at DT.
I'd personally rather see him stay at DT, that's where we badly need bodies. I want to see Taylor and Phillips and Smith at DE, I think they have more upside there personally, jmo. Guess we're gonna find out. Hope this isn't the makings of another Hurd type deal where he's letting Kongbo go back to DE because he promised him that when he recruited him.
Depth is more needed at DE IMO. We've got Taylor, two guys we've never seen healthy a full season
, and then freshmen there. Can't even make a two deep of guys with game experience at DE there without Kongbo.
At DT, there's a lot of unproven depth, but more bodies with experience. Plus I think we've got two freshmen DTs (Crosby and Butler) who will be better emergency depth than the freshmen DEs we've brought in.
It's a bit of a crap shoot either way though. Depth all along the DL isn't great. Best for the coaches just to stick Kongbo in one spot and develop him there instead of moving him back and forth IMO.
Agree, pretty much a crapshoot either way. Lotta unprovens at both positions. Wildcard is how do KMac and Tuttle rebound? Will they both be ready? If they are, we're in much better shape and there's some optimism there ....if not we're screwed.
If Kongbo is gonna stick and stay at DE, then a rotation of him, Taylor, Phillips and Smith has good to great potential, although there's virtuallly nothing proven among the four.
Like you said, crapshoot.
I think Darrell Taylor will be something to watch next year... He will be a very strong contributor... He is Taylor made for the postion he will be playing... Excited about him!We sometimes forget about Darrell Taylor at DE, because he was a RS Fr playing behind those guys that left, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him emerge and really catch fire.
Also, we hope to be getting back Austin Smith.
And one freshman DE came on in as an EE, Deandre Johnson.
I know, but the point I was feebly trying to make in a semi rambling way was we can sit back and argue who is better all day long...and get nowhere. I just feel damn honored I got to watch them both.To be fair, Barnett didn't get sacks against the Austin Peay's and Tennessee Tech's.
Yep...on all counts. Unless Rock can do some magic, let's don't expect to see K-Mac and Shy on the field together too many times. It's possible that Hoke and Shoop think Rock may, indeed, have convinced them that he can get these two sturdied up well enough to contribute consistently. If that's the case, then Kongbo's and Bains' turning into reliable heavy hitters would be enough icing on the cake to elicit some optimism for team 121. I'm afraid a similar injury bug like hit last year's group will be the undoing of a potentially great coaching staff who could start producing some championships outta' Knoxville. Above-average development and escaping the injury bug are, I truly believe, the keys to Butch's making all this work.I'm not really considering turtle to be a part of the equation in 2017. KMac should be back.
So our two deep at DT/DE should look something like
DE: Phillips/Kongbo
DT:Vickers/Picou
DT:KMac/Johnson
DE:Taylor/Smith
Beyond that, it's freshmen and Paul Bain at DT.
Freshmen at DE as well beyond that.
We sometimes forget about Darrell Taylor at DE, because he was a RS Fr playing behind those guys that left, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him emerge and really catch fire.
Also, we hope to be getting back Austin Smith.
And one freshman DE came on in as an EE, Deandre Johnson.