Vols Football: Projecting Depth Chart at Start of Fall Camp

Secondary

Oct 4, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Cameron Sutton (23) intercepts a pass intended for Florida Gators wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (11) during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Starters: Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, Brian Randolph, Todd Kelly Jr., Rashaan Gaulden

Backups: Malik Foreman, LaDarrell McNeil, Evan Berry

This unit has been afflicted with very shallow depth, as there were really only four viable cornerbacks in the spring available for the Vols. Safety had plenty of players, but the corners were razor thin this spring.

Cam Sutton and Brian Randolph are essentially guaranteed spots in the secondary as the top corner and safety respectively, but every other position is up for grabs at this point. Emmanuel Moseley missed some time due to mono this spring, but he’s bulked up and improved enough to have the edge on the second corner spot over Malik Foreman.

Todd Kelly Jr. did nothing to squash the hype surrounding his potential, and he should be able to unseat LaDarrell McNeil at the other safety position. Rashaan Gaulden, almost by default, looks to have the nickel corner position all to himself, but he did play well enough to earn it as well, so it wasn’t just given to him.

Evan Berry is hard to place because he looked very impressive during the spring, but it will be nearly impossible for him to crack the staring lineup unless some major injury occurs. Berry is definitely a viable safety option, however, and he’ll be one of the better backups on the team.

To address the depth concerns at the cornerback position, three corners will join the team in the fall. JUCO transfer Justin Martin, Micah Abernathy, and Darrell Miller will join the team in the fall, and Martin is the favorite to shake things up in the depth chart by stealing a staring position.