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Tennessee football: 10 Vols who could leave early for NFL after 2019

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Ty Chandler #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers takes a hand off from Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 24-7. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Ty Chandler #8 of the Tennessee Volunteers takes a hand off from Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half of the game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tennessee won the game 24-7. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
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Another player poised for a breakout year, Deandre Johnson moved into the outside linebacker rotation last year after Jonathan Kongbo’s season-ending injury. Similar to Darrell Taylor, he converted there from defensive end.

However, Johnson was not as much of a splash player. He finished the year with 13 tackles, three tackles for a loss and two sacks. As a result, there was open competition for this spot in the spring, and other guys were threatening. They included Kivon Bennett and Jordan Allen, the latter of whom was a four-star junior college transfer in the 2018 Tennessee football recruiting class.

Johnson was able to maintain his position, though. So now, going into the season, he’s one of the safest guys with a starting spot, and that is why he’s in position for a breakout year. With Daniel Bituli to help him in the middle and Taylor to draw so much attention on the outside, Johnson has a chance to be a huge impact player as well.

And doing that in Jeremy Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme, which is now run by Derrick Ansley and looks to the edge rushers to leap off the screen, will allow Johnson plenty of opportunities to get recognized. Should that happen, NFL scouts could come calling much earlier than people would have anticipated, especially if the Vols have a good season.

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