Gameday on Rocky Top

It’s finally football time in Tennessee, and we’ll be squeezing every morsel of news out of every word that escapes new coach Jeremy Pruitt’s mouth over the next month leading up to the season opener in Charlotte against West Virginia.

But we are here to fully arm you with every bit of information we can leading up to the season’ start. In order to do that, we’ve got to get you up-to-date on all the new personnel you’ll be seeing on the football field in 2018.

More than 30 new players will suit up for the Big Orange who didn’t this spring. Many of those weren’t even in orange and white for the worst season in school history a year ago. That’s not a bad thing, either.

Pruitt came in and immediately determined the team that went 4-8 last year wasn’t equipped to win this year, either. So, he called on reinforcements. Over the next few days, we’ll brief you on the newbies at each position.

Let’s take a look at the defensive backs.

DEFENSIVE BACKS

One of the biggest concerns, and — quite frankly — seemingly one of the biggest swings and misses in the 2018 recruiting class was defensive back. The Vols went after some of the nation’s top prospects in the secondary late in the process, and while they got them to visit, they couldn’t get any to pull the trigger.

Fall camp has proved UT’s future is more than fine in the secondary. It may even change the way Jeremy Pruitt approaches numbers in the ’19 class. It looks like the Vols hit on at least four of the players in this year’s class and maybe even more. Unfortunately, they’ll have to play all over the field this year which doesn’t bode well for early-season games against teams like high-flying West Virginia.

But these guys are going to be good.

ALONTAE TAYLOR, 6’0″, 186-pound Freshman Cornerback

There’s no player who has gotten more preseason buzz than Taylor, the Coffee County product who is the Vols’ biggest commitment actually on campus. He signed as a wide receiver over some of the top schools in the country, and he started out there this fall. But toward the end of camp, Pruitt put him in the secondary.

He hasn’t looked back.

Taylor looks primed to start. He doesn’t always make the best decisions and he’ll get burned his share of times, but he is an exceptional athlete who has the ability to be UT’s top defensive back this year. Taylor has strong ball skills, and his past work as a receiver will help him grab some interceptions. Pruitt wanted him as a defensive back at Alabama, and that’s where Kirby Smart was recruiting him at Georgia, where he nearly flipped. There’s a big reason why. Taylor is going to be a factor for Tennessee in 2018. Pruitt is a known developer of defensive backs, and it’s going to be fun to watch this guy for the next three or four years.

There will be some bumps this year, but he’s worth it.

BRYCE THOMPSON, 5’11”, 180-pound Freshman Cornerback

One of the biggest coups was when the Vols convinced Thompson to commit to them after National Signing Day. Before that, Thompson was arguably South Carolina’s top recruit heading to the Gamecocks before the weird breakup there. Will Muschamp’s loss is Pruitt’s gain.

Thompson is raw, and he, like Taylor, could have played on offense or defense. But the biggest need for Tennessee is in the secondary, and Thompson immediately upgraded the speed and athleticism at that position. As athletic as Nigel Warrior and Taylor is, Thompson is on another level. Once he learns the nuances of the position and the footwork, he is going to be a fun player to watch in Knoxville.

It’s not out of the question that Thompson will be a starter by the end of the season. Is it a good thing that the Vols could wind up starting two first-year players on the outside? Nope. But the upside with the Irmo, S.C., product is immense, and he is also worth the risk.

He’ll be firmly in the rotation at season’s start.

TREVON FLOWERS, 5’11”, 184-pound Freshman Safety

Pruitt knows defensive backs, and while some guys like Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Olaijah Griffin and Tyson Campbell visited UT only to commit to other schools, the Vols quietly plucked a player from Clemson late in the process. That would be Flowers, and though the Tucker, Georgia, product is a bit undersized for safety, that’s his position of the future, and he’ll get some reps there this year.

Flowers on the back end immediately upgrades the talent and athleticism. If you can pair him with Warrior, Flowers’ ball skills and speed will help Warrior be able to be a big hitter and step up in the run game. Like his two cornerback counterparts, there are some to be some mistakes. But Flowers looks like the real deal early on. There’s a reason why Dabo Swinney’s Tigers and other programs wanted him.

The 3 stars next to his name maybe made him a bit of a “meh” pickup on paper, but Flowers is a good-looking player who’ll help the Vols this year.

BRANDON DAVIS, 5’10”, 170-pound Freshman Cornerback

Nobody thought much positive about it when the nation’s, No. 1,773-ranked prospect committed to Pruitt late in the process. If anything, those who did have a comment thought it was a reach, at best. Davis, they said, was going to be a preferred walk-on or a blue shirt candidate.

Instead, Davis is swarming around the field in practice and could be a factor as a dime back as a true freshman. Again, he features the kind of athleticism the Vols are lacking back there, and Davis may be on the small side, but he packs a big punch when he hits and can close on ball carriers in a hurry. He plays bigger than his measurables. Davis is a two-sport star who played at prestigious John Curtis High School in Louisiana, and he also should suit up for the Vols’ baseball team later this year, just like Flowers.

Davis is a great athlete, and when he bulks up and picks up the scheme, he’ll really help UT. That may be right away.

KENNETH GEORGE JR. 5’11”, 195-pound RS Sophomore Cornerback

Before Tennessee came in and offered George, he was a Trinity Valley Community College prospect who may have looked like he was once slated to go to Nebraska but was probably going to wind up at Incarnate Word.

Never heard of it? Me either.

But George certainly looks the part, and he has three years to play three in Knoxville. He hasn’t looked out-of-place in practice, either. Is he a finished product? No. But he wasn’t recruited to ride the bench, and George is big, fast and lanky. If he grasps the concepts Pruitt and Terry Fair want, he could wind up being one of the biggest steals of the class.

Listen: You’re not going to hit on every player like George, Davis, Kingston Harris, Kurott Garland and a couple of those other guys who had few major offers. But none of those guys look lost. Some of them are going to hit, and George has the physical presence you like to see at corner. Maybe it’ll be him.

CHEYENNE LABRUZZA, 5’11”, 188-pound RS Freshman Safety/Star

One player who is hard to figure out is Labruzza. This is a kid from Louisiana who was wanted badly by LSU and Florida, yet he chose to come to Tennessee and play for coach Butch Jones. Last year, he redshirted, and he looks like the prototypical player in Pruitt’s secondary.

So, why haven’t we heard more from him? Maybe Labruzza needs to get more consistent, and maybe he’s just getting outplayed by some kids younger than him. Is he going to fit in at safety, or his he more of a cornerback? Labruzza looks like he is the latter and could wind up challenging Shawn Shamburger at the Star position. But he isn’t in the mix right now for serious reps.

The Vols would like for him to be. He’s a big, talented kid. The light just needs to come on.

TERRELL BAILEY, 5’11”, 186-pound RS Freshman Cornerback

If you’ve heard of Bailey’s name since he’s been on campus, you’re doing better than me. That’s not to suggest that he’s a bad player, but there has been little buzz under the previous staff, this past spring or in fall camp. It’s way too early to call him another Jones miss, because he possesses good size, decent speed, and he’s still got four years to play.

But if he’s going to be a big factor in the secondary this year, he’s one of Pruitt’s best-kept secrets.

 

It’s finally football time in Tennessee, and we’ll be squeezing every morsel of news out of every word that escapes new coach Jeremy Pruitt’s mouth over the next month leading up to the season opener in Charlotte against West Virginia.

But we are here to fully arm you with every bit of information we can leading up to the season’ start. In order to do that, we’ve got to get you up-to-date on all the new personnel you’ll be seeing on the football field in 2018.

More than 30 new players will suit up for the Big Orange who didn’t this spring. Many of those weren’t even in orange and white for the worst season in school history a year ago. That’s not a bad thing, either.

Pruitt came in and immediately determined the team that went 4-8 last year wasn’t equipped to win this year, either. So, he called on reinforcements. Over the next few days, we’ll brief you on the newbies at each position.

Let’s take a look at the linebacking corps.

LINEBACKERS

We’re all on JJ Peterson watch, but the high 4-star linebacker and potential jewel of the 2018 haul under Jeremy Pruitt can’t be profiled until he gets on campus. When that will be, who knows? The Vols start classes soon, and Peterson’s high school coach Rush Propst said we’ll know something one way or another by next Friday.

That late, it’s hard to envision Peterson helping UT the first half of this season, but that doesn’t change the Vols needing him to get into school so he can help down the road. At this point, we don’t know what to expect.

Losing the centerpiece of Pruitt’s half-class would be bad. Oh well, you play the guys who’re here, right? Let’s take a look at them.

DARRIN KIRKLAND, 6’1″, 234-pound RS Junior

Perhaps it was an omen and a harbinger for the Vols during preseason drills when Kirkland went down with a season-ending injury. After all, he was supposed to be the defensive leader once Jalen Reeves-Maybin left for the NFL, and instead, the Vols were forced to play the entire season without their leader.

For a while, we all thought we’d watched our last down for Kirkland in orange and white, too. After graduating early, he nearly transferred from UT for his final two seasons of eligibility, but Kirkland was lured back onto the roster by Jeremy Pruitt. Now, he’s expected to anchor UT’s strongest unit alongside Daniel Bituli.

Kirkland is a familiar old face, but he’s “new” to this lineup because A) he missed last year, B) he nearly wasn’t in Knoxville and C) he didn’t play this spring. Kirkland has a chance to be one of the Vols’ best players if he’s healthy and if he grasps Pruitt’s defensive concepts. The Vols need him to quickly, and as smart as he is, it shouldn’t be a problem. A healthy Kirkland is excellent for UT’s defense.

DARRELL TAYLOR, 6’4″, 247-pound RS Junior

Another player who isn’t new to the roster is Taylor, who played defensive end for the Vols a season ago before shifting to the pass-rushing Jack outside linebacker this past spring. Taylor looked good at times in the spring despite the rust of learning a new position. The Vols need for him not only to be serviceable on the second level but to be a force.

Last year, he broke out with a 12-tackle performance and the game-winning stop in the season-opening escape against Georgia Tech. He finished the year with 27 tackles and a suspension. That’s not the kind of player the Vols need for Taylor to be in his final two years of eligibility.

They need a difference-maker who can get after opposing quarterbacks and take some of the pressure off the young secondary. Taylor must do that. He needs a new lease on life in his new position. He has the highest upside of any linebacker on the roster, but can he realize his massive potential? It could be fun watching Chris Rumph develop him.

JONATHAN KONGBO, 6’5″, 254-pound RS Senior

Speaking of a fresh start, if anybody needs one, it’s Kongbo. He needs to wash the stench of the Butch Jones era off him. The former top JUCO player in the nation committed to Tennessee over the top schools in the country with three years of eligibility remaining. He now has one season left to go and has yet to make any real impact on the defense.

At times over the past two years, Kongbo has looked lost, out of position and has watched runners blow by him. Last year, he had 29 tackles, but his run containment was awful, and he finished with just 2.5 tackles for a loss. The coaches this year decided to move him to linebacker, and he can focus on one major thing this year, his final year:

Getting after the quarterback.

If Kongbo could make an impact, whether starting or in a reserve role, it’ll be a good finish to a disappointing career. He is so big and talented, it’s hard to envision a career where he didn’t do anything. Maybe he just needs coaching; UT hopes so.

JORDAN ALLEN, 6’4″, 242-pound RS Sophomore

Without Peterson on campus, the Vols are left with just one linebacker in the 2018 class and that’s big-time JUCO prospect Allen, who they lured away from junior college in San Francisco. He certainly looks the part, and Allen has three years to play three. But UT needs him to make an impact this year.

An athlete who looks like him and is as fast as him needs to be able to play and provide quality snaps. That’s why Rumph and other coaches have been so hard on him; they’re trying to unlock his massive potential. Allen is an ideal linebacker for a 3-4 system, and though he doesn’t always play with a high motor or is consistent in where he is supposed to be, there are flashes of brilliance.

Once Allen gets acclimated with the defense, he is sure to fit in the rotation. The Vols could be deep and good at linebacker, so Allen will definitely have to earn his spot. But they’ll be better if he does.

DEANDRE JOHNSON, 6’3″, 244-pound Sophomore

One of my breakout candidates this year is Johnson, another player who isn’t new to Tennessee’s roster, but, like Taylor and Kongbo, moved back to linebacker from defensive end.

He never looked big enough to me to play with his hand down, but he’s big and athletic and looks like a player who could develop into a good linebacker. He’s quick even though he’s not fast, he’s a good athlete who could excel in a pass-rushing role. He’d probably get burned in coverage, but the Vols wouldn’t ask him to do that.

Johnson is a player that Miami and others really wanted, and the Vols won that battle. He played some as a true freshman, and UT hopes he continues to develop at his new spot. He could have a really big year. I think he’s got a strong future.