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

By Caleb Calhoun

LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 28: Daniel Bituli #35 and Nigel Warrior #18 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate a recovered fumble against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 28: Daniel Bituli #35 and Nigel Warrior #18 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate a recovered fumble against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images /

Cornerback

1. Bryce Thompson

Sophomore, 5’11” 184 pounds

Not only is this not a surprise, it’s probably the most exciting part of any unit for Tennessee football. Bryce Thompson was a freshman All-American in 2018 and proved himself to be a very versatile playmaker for the Vols at cornerback. Given all their concerns entering the season, it’s a big deal for him to have the spot locked up as just a sophomore.

Thompson could turn into a superstar this year if things work out a certain way. He is a complete cornerback, a guy who can tackle but was also recruited as an athlete. The more he picks up the nuances of playing the position, the higher his ceiling is.

2. Alontae Taylor

Sophomore, 6’0″ 190 pounds

Rocky Top initially considered the possibilities of Alontae Taylor being a receiver when he was a four-star commitment to Butch Jones. But after decommitting and recommitting to Jeremy Pruitt, it seemed pretty clear that he would be a defensive specialist. And similar to Thompson, Taylor burst onto the scene last year.

He did not have the same splash Thompson had, but Taylor did recover a fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. He is also very athletic and very physical. As a result, he’s got the other spot locked up at cornerback as well. Jeremy Pruitt and new defensive coordinator/secondary coach Derrick Ansley are very lucky to have both cornerback positions locked up by elite sophomores.

3. Cheyenne Labruzza

Redshirt Sophomore, 5’11” 191 pounds

In the spring, Cheyenne Labruzza worked his way into the rotation and was on the first-team defense. He’s actually fourth in the cornerback rotation overall, and we have five for the same reason we have three inside linebackers: the possible changes from 3-4 to nickel. Either way, as the pure corner, Labruzza is clearly third on the list.

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