Kyle Phillips is everything for Tennessee football on the defensive end that Shy Tuttle was at defensive tackle. He had to adjust to Jeremy Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme and remained the one guy who would stay up on the line.
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On top of that, like Tuttle, Phillips served as an inspiration and was a great leader. After all, he also was an elite member of that 2015 defensive line class. In fact, he was a five-star. At the same time, he also suffered back to back season ending injuries.
So when he spent the year lining up next to Tuttle, there was clearly a connection between those two guys. But while Phillips played the Tuttle role with his story, leadership and inspiration, he also played the role with his push up front.
Finally, he surpassed even Alexis Johnson Jr. when it came to stats. Phillips finished the year with seven and a half tackles for a loss and four sacks. He returned an interception for a touchdown, broke up four passes and forced and recovered a fumble.
The guy was everywhere for the Vols. And he also had nobody to fill his role off the bench. Only Phillips could consistently line up on the line at defensive end, and nobody on the entire team was more productive than him.
What’s clear is the Vols were at their best on the defensive line overall. But Phillips was the most productive player on the line statistically last year. He had literally no options behind him. And he was a leader and a factor even without racking up stats. These things make it clear that he will be the toughest guy for Tennessee football to replace. And honestly, it’s actually pretty obvious.