Kingston Vol
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Projecting Tennessee's Depth Chart: Defense
Nose Tackle:
1. Shy Tuttle 2. Emmit Gooden
The top three on the defensive line have been pretty much set for the entirety of camp, and the Vols have increased how much cross-training they've done in the past week or so to build flexibility and depth. Tuttle has worked mostly at the nose, but he's also gotten reps at one of the defensive end spots so he could move around up front if needed.
Gooden, the 6-foot-3, 306-pound junior college transfer, might be the first option beyond the top three, and the situation behind him is rather murky. Like Tuttle, he's worked some at defensive end, too, and could play one of those spots if needed. Tennessee always was going to need him to contribute, and he appears to be in a position to play significant snaps even if he's not starting.
Defensive End:
1. Alexis Johnson 2. Kingston Harris OR Kurott Garland
Johnson played with the second-team defense in the spring game, but Jonathan Kongbo's move to linebacker opened up a spot on the defensive line and the third-year junior college transfer has filled in nicely. When the Vols are in their 3-4 defense they will want one defensive end spot to be manned by a heavier player and the other by a lighter player, and at 6-foot-3 and 314 pounds, Johnson is a good fit for the former.
Defensive End:
1. Kyle Philips 2. John Mincey OR Matthew Butler
Phillips, like fellow seniors Tuttle and Johnson, is another former touted recruit who has one final chance to live up to the billing with which he came to Tennessee. Pruitt and others in the program have hailed Phillips for his leadership presence during the offseason, and he's had a solid camp. It'll be interesting to see what combinations the Vols use when they go to a four-man front — is Phillips lined up as the other end opposite of an outside linebacker or does Tennessee slide him down and use him as an inside pass-rusher?
Jack Linebacker:
1. Darrell Taylor 2. Jordan Allen
Taylor has been atop the pecking order at outside linebacker since the spring and is poised to play a significant role this season. The 6-foot-4, 247-pound fourth-year junior flashed his potential as a playmaker in 2017 as a first-year starter, and the Vols will hope he can build upon the experience by being more consistent and providing a pass-rushing presence. The outside linebackers also will be asked to set the edge in run defense and drop into coverage from time to time, but Taylor's main job will be getting after the quarterback and Tennessee will need him to produce.
Allen, a junior college transfer who has been in the program since enrolling in January, has looked much more comfortable in camp than he was during spring ball, and the 6-foot-4, 242-pounder could be the third option at outside linebacker.
SAM Linebacker:
1. Johnathan Kongbo 2. Deandre Johnson
There is interchangeability between the two outside linebacker spots and the Vols have cross-trained at those positions throughout the offseason. Slimmed down to 254 pounds, the 6-foot-5 Kongbo, a third-year junior college transfer, is noticeably more confident and comfortable and has taken to the move to linebacker, where he and Taylor both will be given more opportunities to display their athleticism. Kongbo has yet to put it all together, but there's optimism the light may be coming on.
Kongbo essentially is No. 2 in the pecking order behind Taylor and is going to play significant snaps, even if he's not technically a starter. When the Vols are in their 3-4 defense, he'll be on the field at the same time as Taylor. Tennessee could play them together as edge pass-rushers in certain packages and situations as well.
MIKE Linebacker:
1. Daniel Bituli 2. Will Ignont
Tennessee's defense is going to be multiple in its packages and its looks and the personnel combinations and lineups in those defenses are going to vary. But Bituli is going to be one player who never comes off the field. He used the spring to focus on learning Tennessee's defense and expressed comfort in it earlier this month, and multiple coaches and teammates have noted how much Bituli has grown as a vocal leader and tone-setting presence for the Vols this offseason.
Ignont, the 6-foot-1, 239-pound sophomore, is probably next in line behind the top three at inside linebacker, and as long as the Vols stay healthy in front of him his role may be limited to special teams as he continues to learn the defense and mature as a player.
WILL Linebacker:
1. Quart'e Sapp 2. Darrin Kirkland Jr.
Kirkland getting "maintenance days" for all of last week and being held out of Saturday's scrimmage this close to the season opener is worrisome, despite Pruitt saying the 6-foot-1, 234-pound fourth-year junior "felt great" and wanted to scrimmage. Whether or not he practices on Tuesday afternoon will be telling about his status.
Sapp and Kirkland always were going to play significant snaps, but the former's snap count likely goes up if the latter's injury troubles linger. In Tennessee's open practice, Kirkland played inside linebacker in the 3-4 and nickel defenses, but came off the field when the Vols went to the dime, in which Sapp was the lone linebacker. Sapp is a rangier linebacker and Kirkland is a better box linebacker, so who plays might be matchup- and situation-dependent given their respective strengths.
Auburn and Bama have good ones. GA's wont' suck. lol.Yea i want what gives us the best OL to run the ball and that is with Trey at guard. Because quite honestly i don’t think we are gonna be great at QB no matter what so sure up the run game and put a tight end over there occasionally.
I don’t see any just elite edge rushers anyways to this point on our schedule.
Cornerback:
1. Alontae Taylor 2. Bryce Thompson
The freshman Taylor has been a revelation this month after emerging as one of Tennessee's camp standouts. He intercepted two passes in the open scrimmage and came up with another one in the first scrimmage, and it's been clear for a while he would be a Day One starter at cornerback after making the switch to defense from wide receiver in the spring. Taylor checks all the boxes for what Pruitt wants at cornerback, and though he won't be immune to some freshman moments this season, his future is undoubtedly bright.
Cornerback:
1. Baylen Buchanan 2. Kenneth George OR Carlin Fils-aime
Buchanan, a junior who had a rough go of it as a freshman and played sparingly as a sophomore, has been entrenched with the first-team defense throughout the offseason and has earned the starting job he's all but locked up. The 5-foot-11, 193-pounder said last week he feels confident going into the season and believes the new style of press-man coverage the Vols are going to play accentuates his strengths. He's a bit of an unknown, though, and will enter the season with something to prove.
STAR/Nickel:
1. Shawn Shamburger 2. Micah Abernathy OR Baylen Buchanan
Shamburger has worked at the Star and safety positions throughout camp and is almost certain to open the season as a starter somewhere in the secondary. The hunch here remains that it will be in the nickel spot. Tennessee's defense is going to value versatility in its defensive backs, particularly safeties who can play close to the ball and provide a presence in run support while being able to cover like a cornerback.
Safety:
1. Nigel Warrior 2. Shawn Shamburger OR Todd Kelly Jr.
Warrior's starting role has looked pretty assured all offseason and it'll be interesting to see how much he moves around within the defense. The junior might be Tennessee's most talented defensive back, and Pruitt might try to showcase him and find ways to maximize what he does best.
Shamburger worked exclusively at safety last week and could slide back there if needed, while fifth-year senior Kelly is battling to earn snaps at what's become a crowded position.
Safety:
1. Micah Abernathy 2. Trevon Flowers
Tennessee's newcomers may have brought an influx of athleticism and playmaking into the secondary, but the Vols are going to lean on Abernathy's experience. He spent his freshman season playing nickel in Tennessee's old defense, so he will have had some experience sliding down and covering slot receivers or tight ends, which he will be asked to do in this defense. Abernathy also could see some snaps at the Money position when Tennessee plays its dime package.
The impressive freshman Flowers has made a serious push for playing time on the heels of two solid scrimmage performances. At this point he looks like the sixth man in the pecking order in the secondary, meaning he would see snaps in the dime package, which the Vols could be in quite a bit against West Virginia in the opener.
Auburn and Bama have good ones. GA's wont' suck. lol.
but yeah, i think you can manufacture pass protection to certain degree. with an H back and the big TE's we have....
it's not a must to have smith at LT for that purpose. and if at guard, he's and Kennedy and whoever is at RG can get a run game going, that will help the passing game more than anything else anyway...get that 7th or 8th man in the box and take advantage of match ups outside.
we'll see, but i'im definitely in on Smith at guard at this point.
Maybe it means something... maybe it doesn’t.
But whenever the official UT football twitter account tweets passing game highlights from practice, it’s always JG.
For example:
I don’t think I’ve seen any KC.
Like I said, might not mean a thing. But I wonder if that is maybe subliminal marketing? “This is our QB, familiarize yourself with #2 out there hitting receivers”
Or maybe KC just isn’t making exciting connections.
Idk. Just something random that stood out to me.
agreed, and the swithc to the 3 down linement in and of itself increasted the #'s there.We will be in nickel packages most of the time so that front 7 is a front 6. That makes those positions measurably deeper.
as it stands right now, based on what position they're currently listed, we've got 5 committments at DL for the 2019 class. a lot is going to depend on how much guys like garland and mincey develop this year.Def End depth is SCARY. I imagine they will try to sign 1-2 grad transfer Def Ends next year.
this is definitley looking to be more accurate the closer we get to game week. agreed.Almost all of the reports and like you said these official videos have leaned towards jg. I think most of the chatter about kc starting has come from people who don't really like jg or just believe that kc was brought in to start no matter what. So most of the signs have been ignored. Imo this has been trending this way the whole time. And I don't think this is a sign that our qb situation is bad. I'm expecting good things from jg. As far as kc getting a lot of reps in camp, that just seems like a smart thing to give a new guy you hope to be either the starter or backup a chance to get the offense down. Pruitt said from the beginning everyone will get a chance and he kept his word.
i think the only way the line up really changes is going to be either they see early on that the combo they've gone with is all wrong, or an injury.Anybody think that the OL alignment might depend on the formation? For instance, Smith may line up at guard in the I-formation and tackle in the shotgun. Just spitballing here.