Tennessee football: 5 3-stars who could shine for Vols in 2019
Jeremy Pruitt said at his opening press conference that it’s no secret you need to dominate the line of scrimmage in the SEC. Well, it’s also no secret that Tennessee football needs help on both sides of the ball there.
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Unlike the offensive line, though, the defensive line was a strength last year. And unlike the offensive line, the defensive line lost all its starters. Alexis Johnson, Kyle Phillips and Shy Tuttle are gone. Paul Bain, a contributor, is also gone.
Emmit Gooden is the only returning proven contributor up front, and that leaves plenty of openings for a new guy to come in and fill the void. Matthew Butler, John Mincey and Aubrey Solomon stood out in the spring.
But the fact is Solomon might not play, and Butler and Mincey look more like defensive ends. So any defensive tackle who commits has a great chance to start. Elijah Simmons is one of the three who committed to the Vols. He’s not a junior college guy like the other two, but he’s a Nashville prospect who provides potential.
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At 6’2″ 350 pounds, Simmons is already in place to be a great nose tackle, something Pruitt didn’t have to run his 3-4 scheme last year. That unique size is something special, and it may be just enough to help him see the field early in 2019. Heck, he could become the regular starter in the middle with that size.