How Long Before Tennessee Volunteers Return to Prominence?

Defense

A defensive unit that gave up nearly 30 points per game loses a lot of talent up front but returns everybody in the back. That’s probably a good thing with the way the rush defense struggled last year. If the young guns can step in immediately on the line, this group has lots of potential.

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While analysts are right to be skeptical of the drop-off facing the Vols on the offensive  line, their skepticism of the losses on the defensive line are overblown. Who cares if everybody from the front four is gone? This was an awful front four, ranking 100th in the country in rush defense as it gave up 207 yards per game and 99th in the country in sacks with only 18 on the year. That’s unacceptable for a Tennessee line known for producing greats such as Reggie White, Leonard Little, John Henderson, Albert Haynesworth, Darwin Walker, and Sean Ellis. To be fair, it ran into all of the top rushing offenses in the SEC last year against Missouri, Auburn, and Alabama, and it also met up with rushing power Oregon in non-conference play, but the performance was still awful. So replacing them should mean at the very least no drop-off, and possibly more talent. Let’s start with junior defensive end Curt Maggitt, who missed last year due to injury but was a huge impact player in 2012. Putting him on the line already locks up one position. Junior Trevarris Saulsberry is also a guy who could be a huge impact player at tackle as long as he can get fully healthy after battling a knee injury last year, and pairing him up with senior Jordan Williams should make for a pretty good unit in the middle. Sophomore Danny O’Brien is has more raw talent than both of them though and should be able to wreak havoc in the middle after 3 tackles for a loss in limited action last year, and junior college transfer Owen Williams could also make a difference. Michael Sawyers and Dimarya Mixon provide depth in the middle, so between all of these players, there’s enough for un upgrade at the tackle position. Lining up on the other side of Maggitt should be an upgrade as well. Sophomore Corey Vereen is good enough to make a huge impact on the line as well and has all the makings of becoming a breakout star. Sophomore LaTroy Lewis could also be an impact player at the position, as could redshirt freshman Kendal Vickers. Jones has also recruited very well on the end, bringing in four new guys, three of whom are 4-stars. I’m still trying to see where the drop-off will be at the position. It was so bad last year, and there’s so much raw talent on the line this year combined with some experience that there’s no reason for the group to actually be better than it was. As crazy as it sounds, I’m calling for an upgrade.

The linebacker corps. returns veteran leader and senior A.J. Johnson, who should be the anchor for the entire defense after 83 tackles and 8.5 tackles for a loss. He’s not gifted with as many physical gifts as some of the other linebackers on the roster, but he’s still pretty good and very smart, never getting out of position. Dontavis Sapp and Brent Brewer may seem like losses, but it only opens the door for sophomore Jalen Reeves-Maybin to take on a larger role. His raw talent should allow him to step in nicely, and sophomore Kenny Bynum is also good enough to be in the mix. Adding freshmen Gavin Bryant and Elliot Barry will also help, but the big story is two other guys who could play immediately. Junior Chris Weatherd is a junior college transfer who was a 4-star recruit and could step in immediately, and 4-star freshman Dillon Bates has the most potential of anybody on the group and could start as a freshman. Like the rest of the team, this is a very young unit that has lots of raw talent, and with Johnson as the leader, expect an upgrade by the end of the year.

Oct 19, 2013; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker A.J. Johnson (45) and linebacker Curt Maggitt (56) celebrate after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 23 to 21. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The one sure part of this Tennessee team is the secondary, and luckily, everybody is back. Look for this to be the strength of the defense and a major strength of the team after ranking in the top 30 in passing yards allowed. Sophomore cornerback Cameron Sutton became a fan favorite his freshman year and is poised for a breakout year after 2 interceptions, 7 passes broken up, and 4 tackles for a loss last year along with a sack. Senior cornerback Justin Coleman is the veteran group and should do a good job locking down the other side. Junior safeties Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil are also pretty good impact players, with Randolph snagging 4 interceptions last year. The unit is much more experienced this year with these starters back, and think about how bright the future looks with only one senior in the rotation. Adding to the excitement, sophomore Devaun Swafford has impressed coaches enough to be an impact player in the rotation, and he joins Max Arnold, Malik Foreman, Lemond Johnson, and Geraldo Orta as players who have experience and provide depth. Senior Riyahd Jones is also in the mix for some action. But like everywhere else, the big story is Jones’s recruiting. Jones brought in six new defensive backs, led by Todd Kelly, Jr., and five were 4-star recruits. Plenty of them could see the field this year and work their way into the rotation above the other backups, and think about how deep that makes this group for the future. Expect a top 20 secondary this year barring injuries.

The defense as a whole should be much better this year. Losing everybody on what was already a terrible line means nothing, and the recruiting there should be an upgrade. The linebackers should also see some improvement, and the secondary should become one of the strongest units in the SEC. There’s nowhere to say definitively that there was a drop-off, so this is something to look forward to in Knoxville. Continue to Next Slide for Special Teams