Jan 2, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback C.J. Beathard (16) runs for a first down as he tries to elude Tennessee Volunteers defensive back LaDarrell McNeil (33) in the third quarter of the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field. The Tennessee Volunteers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
9. Free Safety
This has already been mentioned plenty of times throughout his career, and it seems that poor LaDarrell McNeil can’t catch a break. Once again, the veteran senior who has been with the program for a while and developed into a solid player has a budding superstar on his tail in Todd Kelly Jr.
Betsided
Kelly has been making headlines since he arrived on campus in Knoxville last year, and he will definitely see some action on the field no matter what. But the question is if he can take McNeil’s starting spot, which he has a chance to do this preseason.
Make no mistake, the good news about this is that if Kelly takes McNeil’s spot, it will have everything to do with his talent and not McNeil’s lack of production. That should just give you an idea of the talent the Vols have at safety this year, particularly when Evan Berry, a four-star recruit in 2014 and the brother of superstar safety Eric Berry, is sitting right behind Kelly as well.
All of that will at least push McNeil to never settle and always focus on keeping his spot, which is definitely a good thing and adds to the fact that the secondary is just flat-out loaded. But it could seem a bit unfair for him to lose his spot this year after everything he has given to the program. The experience alone should still work in his favor.
Just don’t expect Kelly to ride the bench throughout the season.
Next: #8: Kick/Punt Returners