Tennessee football roster: Projecting Vols’ 2019 2-deep depth chart

Defensive End

1. Matthew Butler

Junior, 6’4″ 285 pounds

The defensive end position was wide open for Tennessee football heading into the spring. It was hard enough to replace Alexis Johnson and Shy Tuttle at defensive tackle, but Emmit Gooden was always a known commodity, and Savion Williams and Aubrey Solomon both came with expectations. At end, though, there were no names, and Kyle Phillips was the best player on the team last year.

Luckily for Jeremy Pruitt, Matthew Butler surprisingly burst onto the scene in the spring. He made his way into the first-team rotation and consistently received shoutouts from the coaches. As a result, we have him as our starting defensive end. His unique size makes him a deadly threat and a versatile player. He may not be Phillips this year, but he could be a very serious force.

2. John Mincey

Sophomore, 6’3″ 280 pounds

John Mincey actually joined Matthew Butler in the first team rotation for the spring game. As a result, we have him in the rotation at defensive end for the Vols right now as well. Whether or not that stays the case remains to be seen.

Four-star defensive end commitment Roman Harrison will be a threat, as will three-star junior college transfer Darel Middleton. But Mincey’s production in the spring suggests he’ll be able to hold off threats, at least this year. And similar to Butler, his versatility at 280 pounds allows him to also shift and line up in the middle, which is very helpful for Pruitt. Middleton provides that, but Harrison doesn’t.