Ten.
That’s how many players have more sacks than Vols true freshman defensive end Derek Barnett this season.
Last season, you had to go all the way to 61st on the leader board to find a Vol on the list (Corey Miller).
Barnett has already set a new record for sacks by a true freshman at Tennessee (nine) and the Vols still have two regular season games left to play.
The Tennessee native has eight sacks in his last four games. He also has 28 total tackles in that same span.
Those are crazy good numbers for a defensive end — let alone a true freshman.
On Monday, Barnett was recognized by the SEC for his stellar performance against Kentucky (two sacks, seven total tackles, four tackles for loss), by being named the SEC defensive lineman of the week.
Congrats to @dbarnett25, named @SEC Defensive Lineman Of The Week (7 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks)http://t.co/dGOCoAlfVw pic.twitter.com/8lNXimwzUj
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 18, 2014
Barnett is arguably the Vols’ most important player on defense this season. Not only has he been able to consistently get pressure on the quarterback, but he’s also been very effective at containing mobile quarterbacks.
Though it’s worth mentioning that it’s not just quarterbacks that Barnett’s been effective against. He’s also been a huge asset in Tennessee’s run defense.
Barnett’s had a freshman season for the ages. He’s on his way to being one of the greats to play at Tennessee.