Tennessee football: 5 needs for Vols to address in 2020 recruiting class
2. Edge Rushers
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Inside linebackers aren’t the only potential linebackers that Tennessee football needs to address. The edge rushers, who can play outside linebacker or defensive end, also require some attention on the recruiting trail. After all, they’re the guys everybody likes to watch make plays in a well-run 3-4 defense.
Darrell Taylor and is going to be a senior this year, and Deandre Johnson and Jordan Allen will be seniors in 2020. Meanwhile, Pruitt only scored one defensive end on the recruiting trail this past year, leaving the unit wide open for the future.
Remember, this is the position that the Vols and Pruitt will rely on to wreak havoc on offenses. It’s the glamorous position in an aggressive 3-4 defense, as shown in their win over the Kentucky Wildcats and to a degree over the Auburn Tigers.
Thanks to this last recruiting class, Pruitt has found enough bodies to have options at the two defensive tackle positions. But as those guys get the necessary push up front, he needs more guys for the future to be able to make the plays on the outside. That’s the entire nature of what a 3-4 defense is going for.
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As a result, look for the Vols to be very aggressive at this position for 2020. There is too much of a huge need here, and at this point, they still don’t have anybody proven here after 2019, when Taylor will be gone. Unlike the other positions, that makes this one where the Vols could end up needing immediate help.