Tennessee football: 5 concerns surrounding Vols offseason

2. Losses on the defensive line

Even with all of their returning starters, Tennessee football has a major issue with its losses. And those losses are up front on the defensive line. All three linemen from the new 3-4 scheme have graduated and will not be back.

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The problem with that is that unit was also the best one Jeremy Pruitt had last season. Alexis Johnson and Kyle Phillips were the best playmakers on the team. Shy Tuttle did not make as much of a splash, but he was the workhorse who would get the pushes up front.

Don’t forget that Phillips and Johnson caused the defensive touchdown that won the game against the Auburn Tigers. And they along with Tuttle got the push to shut down the Kentucky Wildcats, even if Darrell Taylor made the plays.

So losing these three guys, who all finally lived up to their billing as four-stars and five-stars, is going to be brutal for Pruitt and Kevin Sherrer. You can’t just replace them overnight, and we’ve seen proof that the Vols can’t replace them.

Last year, this unit was thin behind those guys. Pruitt couldn’t turn to the backups the way he wanted, so they often got tired in the second half, which showed against the Georgia Bulldogs and Florida Gators specifically.

Maybe Emmit Gooden can take a step forward, and maybe Aubrey Solomon will be allowed to play this year. And this upcoming class does have four new defensive tackles. But nobody right now who has shown anything is coming back up front, and a struggling defensive line in the SEC is a recipe for disaster.