Tennessee football: 10 Vols who should redshirt in 2019

We’re back to defensive backs, but this time it’s with a veteran. Tennessee football simply doesn’t have room for Shawn Shamburger to be in the starting rotation this year. Baylen Buchanan has locked up the nickel slot and Nigel Warrior has locked up the safety slot.

The favorites for the other three positions are all guys who are younger than Shamburger. As a result, Shamburger should go ahead and redshirt. Sure, he’s appeared in 22 games over two years and started in three of them. But he’s not going to really be able to break through into the rotation given his current situation.

However, if Shamburger takes a redshirt, he’ll be able to sit behind Theo Jackson in 2020 and then start for a year at safety in 2021. That’s his best chance to earn real playing time during his tenure on Rocky Top. The spring game, though, put Jackson ahead of Shamburger, and with both in the program for three years, that’s not a fluke.

Meanwhile, Shamburger will never move ahead of Trevon Flowers, Alontae Taylor or Bryce Thompson. So his best bet is to take this year off, develop more in the 3-4, and come back as the starter in waiting for 2021 while being in the rotation in 2020.