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Tennessee football roster: Projecting the Vols’ 2017 2-deep depth chart

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium at halftime during the game between Tennessee Volunteers and the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium at halftime during the game between Tennessee Volunteers and the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Elliott Berry (41) tackles Texas A&M Aggies running back Trayveon Williams (5) during the game at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 8, 2016; College Station, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Elliott Berry (41) tackles Texas A&M Aggies running back Trayveon Williams (5) during the game at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Outside Linebacker

1. Cortez McDowell

The season-ending injury to Jalen Reeves-Maybin really took a toll on the Vols last year, but it prepared them for their linebacker depth this season. Cortez McDowell was able to get lots of experience as a result. And with just three starts but an appearance in 11 games, McDowell finished with 54 tackles and four tackles for a loss.

Now, he’s likely to be the main starter at outside linebacker this year. McDowell has drawn far and away the most praise from Bob Shoop this offseason among outside linebackers, and it’s pretty clear he’s the main starter there.

As a result, we have the 6’0″ 235-pound senior at No. 1 on the Tennessee football outside linebackers depth chart for now.

2. Elliott Berry

This is a bit of a stretch on our end. But here me out. Bob Shoop hinted that he’d like to use more of his base 4-3 set this year than his 4-2-5 set. With that, Elliott Berry is a perfect complement to Cortez McDowell, even if other guys drew more hype this spring.

Berry is a speed guy at 5’11” 222 pounds. He also showed flashes of talent last year when he got in the game, and with his experience, he would actually be perfect for containing spread offenses. So we have Berry as the No. 2 linebacker in the rotation and the guy who will start in the base 4-3 set.

But since Shoop could use his base 4-3 set, we added another guy to this roster.

3. Quart’e Sapp

Since Shoop could alternate between his base 4-3 and his nickel set more this year, we figured that means one and a half starters at linebacker (Berry being the half). As a result, a two-deep linebacker depth chart means three linebackers. And the third linebacker on this list is clearly Quart’e Sapp.

Sapp missed almost all of last year, but the 6’2″ 220-pound redshirt sophomore has drawn a ton of plays from coaches and players. As a result, we have him as a guy that will clearly be in the linebacker rotation this Fall.

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