Tennessee football: 5 strongest states for Vols in 2019

5. South Carolina

Number of players: 3 (1 newcomer)

Notable talent: Bryce Thompson, Paxton Brooks

It was actually very tough for us to figure out which state was No. 5 in terms of putting out talent for Tennessee football. Sure, South Carolina has three players. But North Carolina and Louisiana both have four players on the Vols.

Meanwhile, Alabama has three players, but two of them, Brandon Kennedy and Will Ignont, could be starters this year. The same is true with West Virginia, which has two players but could see both start in Riley Locklear and five-star freshman phenom Darnell Wright.

So why South Carolina? Well, it’s the only state among the ones we listed with a guaranteed starter and guaranteed contributor. Bryce Thompson is certain to be the main starting cornerback this year for the Vols, and he’s more of a standout player than anybody else from any of the states we put on here.

Alabama would be close with Kennedy, but we can’t be sure about his health this year. Meanwhile, North Carolina has a favorite with Matthew Butler to start, but everybody else is a newcomer, and Louisiana has four projected backups. Simply put, South Carolina is the most reliable to have a key starter in addition to its numbers.

On top of Thompson, Paxton Brooks is guaranteed to be a contributor as well. We can’t equate a kickoff specialist to being a full-time starter, but it counts for something. Brooks will be No. 1 on the depth chart. Freshman defensive back Kenney Solomon of Myrtle Beach, S.C. isn’t likely to make any impact, but he is a third guy on the roster.