Tennessee football: 10 Vols who need a good spring practice for 2019

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Offensive lineman Marcus Tatum #68 of the Tennessee Volunteers guards Zachary Carter #17 of the Florida Gators during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /

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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

Tennessee football seemed to get a four-star and an elite playmaker in Jordan Allen when he committed to Jeremy Pruitt and the Vols as a junior college transfer in the 2018 class. But they hardly saw anything from him last year. His absence was notable.

After Jonathan Kongbo went down with a season-ending injury, Darrell Taylor and Deandre Johnson almost exclusively held down the fort at outside linebacker. Allen, meanwhile, had a grand total of 6 tackles. According to reports, he also appeared to be considering a transfer this offseason but stayed on board. So there’s a ton of drama as he has returned.

Now, though, he needs a very good spring to get into the rotation. Taylor is a senior while Johnson is a sophomore, and as a redshirt junior, he’ll have a chance again next year when Taylor is gone. That’s why he isn’t higher on this list.

But when you consider the level of expectations that were placed on him after arriving on campus, he really needs to step it up and prove something now. With four-star Roman Harrison set to arrive in the summer, Allen has even more pressure on him to step up. Spring ball is going to be a huge deal for him, more than most. It’s time to see if he can reach his potential.

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