Tennessee football Smokey Points: Top 5 Vols performers in loss to Missouri

Again, we’re reaching here. Tennessee football had very few performers overall, and the secondary wasn’t even one of the bright spots. However, it was one spot where a few tough players were able to make their mark, and Baylen Buchanan was one of those tough players.

The junior defensive back is consistently one of the most versatile people on the team. He isn’t always athletic enough for one-on-one coverage against wideouts, but he’s always finding another way to make an impact.

In this game, Buchanan managed three tackles. But he also forced and recovered a fumble. The sheer nature of causing a turnover is enough to put a player on this list given what happened Saturday. This is something Buchanan’s made a habit of doing, though.

Remember, Buchanan made the hit that forced the first interception against the Auburn Tigers. And he’s been sent on numerous blitz packages by Jeremy Pruitt throughout the season. So once again, on Saturday, he came through with a big play.

Now, with the Vols already down 40-17 in the third quarter, it didn’t help much. But he did what he could to try to spark a comeback. As a result, he was able to do enough for us to put him on this list as one of UT’s top performers.