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Tennessee Vols 2015 Football Season Preview by Position: Defensive Line

By Caleb Calhoun

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Previewing the Tennessee Vols 2015 football team at every position, here is a look at the defensive line situation.

If you’re looking for some established stars on the Tennessee Volunteers already going into the 2015 season, the front seven is a great place to start.

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The defensive line is made up of lots of returning players that had to get healthy over the spring on top of a recruiting class that brought in six new linemen, including two stars.

So the unit is looking to be much deeper and more experienced this year than it was last year, which is appearing to become a staple of all units on the Tennessee football team.

With elite pass-rushers Curt Maggitt and Derek Barnett, the defensive front already has something for opposing offenses to fear. But Maggitt will be focused on more as a linebacker.

Barnett, meanwhile, is the star of the group and is only a sophomore. Add in two more five-stars this year and two other returning starters, and there are clear reasons to be excited about what is to come this season.

This recruiting class could be the best ever brought in on the line. It should help the one area where there will be questions: defensive tackle.

While the defensive end situation should be pretty solid with absolutely no problems, the defensive tackle situation is met with a reliable starter and incoming freshmen expected to make a splash, but nobody who has emerged as a star yet.

That needs to happen for the line to truly be as elite as it could be. Let’s determine how that could be by taking a look at the projected depth chart, beginning with the position of question, defensive tackle.

Defensive Tackle Projected Starters

1. Danny O’Brien, Junior (Flint, Mich.)

Danny O’Brien stepped onto the scene last year at nose tackle and made a pretty solid impact, starting 12 games and playing in all 13. The 6’2″ 282 pound lineman is a little bit small up front, and he is not that fast to make up for it, but he has hand speed and a great understanding of positioning and leverage.

That allowed O’Brien to rack up 23 tackles, four and a half tackles for a loss, and a sack last year. He was huge against Vanderbilt and probably secured that victory for the Vols. Going into this year, O’Brien is an experienced player, which is the big thing that makes him a valuable asset in the middle. Who starts with him is the question, though.

2. Kahlil McKenzie, Freshman (Concord, Calif.)

Rated the best defensive tackle in the country, Kahlil McKenzie was a five-star recruit on Rivals whom everybody is excited to see. He has proven nothing yet, but the potential for the 6’4″ 340 pound lineman is through the roof. He might want to trim down a bit to pick up more speed, but he is the perfect contrast to the 6’2″ O’Brien, so them starting together would make for a great team.

McKenzie may not step onto the field as a full-time starter immediately, but by the middle of the season he could be the star. Yes, this is placing a lot of expectations on him, but with his raw potential, it is warranted. If he is everything he has been hyped up to be, he should be able to step onto the field immediately.

Defensive End Projected Starters

1. Derek Barnett, Sophomore (Nashville, Tenn.)

This is the big reason there are no questions about the Vols heading into this season at least at defensive end. Derek Barnett could be hyped as the next Jadeveon Clowney. The only question is if he can build on what he did as a freshman because he set the bar so high. The 6’3″ 268 pound defensive end had 72 tackles, 10 sacks, and 20.5 tackles for a loss overall.

That included two three-sack games. Barnett is the one guy getting a ton of hype on the Vols going into the year with lots of expectations. Could he reach those again this year? If so, Tennessee has nothing to worry about going into the season. Barnett is a budding superstar who should be up for every award this year. And he is only a sophomore.

2. Corey Vereen, Junior (Winter Garden, Fla.)

While Derek Barnett is the superstar on the end, Corey Vereen is the veteran on the other side. The weakside defensive end at 6’2′ 253 pounds does not rack up the same stats as Barnett, but he is very useful. Last year he had 24 tackles and one and a half sacks on the year, and he will provide the perfect leadership the Vols need up front.

The only issue with Vereen is that he needs to get healthy from the knee surgery he had in the offseason. If he can do that and fully return to form, the Vols should have no problems on the outside at defensive end wreaking havoc.

Defensive Tackle Backups

Owen Williams, Senior (Macon, Ga.)

Owen Williams has a lot of experience and will definitely be in the rotation on the defensive line, so don’t be surprised by the amount of action he sees. But he is not likely to start. At 6’2″ 294 pounds, Williams is more of a nose tackle like O’Brien, so he will back him up, but they can definitely play on the field together and he will see as much action as anybody else, even if he technically is the first back-up. The guy did show he could play with 21 tackles and two sacks last year.

Shy Tuttle, Freshman (Lexington, N.C.)

Shy Tuttle had an outstanding spring and will definitely see the field a lot this year as a member of the rotation. The line is too deep for him to start, but he will definitely play a lot at 6’2″ 308 pounds. It is pretty clear that the future of Tennessee football in the middle is McKenzie and Tuttle starting together in two years. Only experience will hold him back a bit this year.

Demarya Mixon, Sophomore (Compton, Calif.)

As a freshman buried in the depth chart last year, Demarya Mixon did see some action last year, racking up four tackles. At 6’3″ 270 pounds, he provides versatility to the line with the ability to play either in the middle or on the outside. That will allow him to see some action this year as well as a backup.

Quay Picou, Freshman (Buford, Ga.)

A 6’3″ 260 pound defensive tackle, Quay Picou is another versatile player who will be very useful in the rotation one day. But he’s likely to redshirt this year. Being an undersized freshman buried in the depth chart who is also late enrolling into school due to an academic issue sets him behind lots of other people. As a result, he’ll likely sit out this year.

Defensive End Backups

Kyle Phillips, Freshman (Nashville, Tenn.)

The city of Nashville is clearly putting out some elite prospects at defensive end, and the only reason Kyle Phillips would not be projected to start immediately is because of Derek Barnett. The 6’3″ 259 pound lineman who is a five-star on Rivals has been rated the No. 3 best player in the country, and he will definitely immediately step into the rotation, even if he is not a starter.

The prospect of Barnett, McKenzie, Tuttle and Phillips all lining up on the line in two years is a chance to look forward to eventually the best defensive line in the country if things work out.

Latroy Lewis, Junior (Akron, Ohio)

Latroy Lewis is an experienced player who has seen a good bit of action the past two years, playing every game of last year. At 6’4″ 260 pounds, Lewis had a sack and five tackles for a loss last year. He will be able to step into the rotation on the weakside and have a very solid impact throughout the year.

Lewis will back up Corey Vereen at defensive end and will be a serviceable player whenever his number is called provided he can stay healthy.

Andrew Butcher, Freshman (Alpharetta, Ga.)

Andrew Butcher is a guy who could definitely see some action this year after having a very solid spring. He is backing up some very good players at defensive end, and seniority will keep him down the depth chart, but he will still have his chances. As a 6’2″ 250 pound end who runs a 4.8-40, the potential is there. He should be able to contribute when needed.

Darrell Taylor, Freshman (Hopewell, Va.)

Another four-star defensive end, Taylor is a little smaller at 6’4″ 220 pounds, but he should be very versatile, athletic, and mobile. That should make for a good combination to sneak him in on some plays if needed, but the unit is so deep that he could redshirt this year as well. We’ll find out more about him in preseason practices.

Final Take

The Tennessee Vols had a defensive line that was never really a problem last year and found a couple of gems on it. This year, with a more experienced unit and such an elite recruiting class, there is no reason to believe that barring injuries the defensive line cannot be a major strength for the Vols.

They have brought in elite prospects at every position, and all it takes now is some developing. Expect the Vols to potentially have the best pass rush in the SEC this year, and if a couple of players develop, the rush defense overall could be the best.

Next: An Interesting Week in Tennessee Football

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