Tennessee Football: 3 way-too-early breakout candidates for 2022

Tennessee football needed breakout candidates to shine in 2021 to make it a successful season. In 2022, the Volunteers will have these players step up.

Coming into 2021, the Tennessee football program had reached its lowest point. A team that had two coaches in 32 years, has had five since 2009, and three since 2017. It would be hard for any program to do much with that kind of turnover.

Yet, the Tennessee Volunteers did just that. While seven wins may look like any modern Tennessee season, there was no depth on last year’s roster. But, stars always shine.

Hendon Hooker was chief among them. Hooker had been a decent quarterback at Virginia Tech but blossomed into a beautiful flower of a quarterback for the Vols.

Catching Hooker’s passes was Cedric Tillman, a little-known receiver before 2021. Tillman outshined Velus Jones Jr., who most had figured would be the top Tennessee target.

On defense, linebacker Jeremy Banks calmed the fires of his own personality and became one of the better linebackers in college football. He finished seventh in the nation in tackles and was a key part of Tennessee’s defense being better than most people thought.

Theo Jackson was another guy who found his place. The defensive back had won the nickel role and parlayed that into an All-SEC performance

For 2022, the Vols need a new crop of faces to make themselves known to Vol Nation. Here are the three most likely candidates.