Tennessee football: Top 10 in-state Vols on 2019 roster

Back to the Nashville pipeline with a guy from Antioch, Daniel Bituli stands above even Jauan Jennings as a player from within the state on this team. He’s likely to be Tennessee football’s most valuable defender heading into the season, and that counts for something.

Bituli showed what he could do as a sophomore in 2017. But when Jeremy Pruitt installed his 3-4 system in 2018, the guy exploded onto the scene. He finished the year with 79 tackles, six and a half tackles for a loss, a sack and a pass deflection.

After that successful campaign, Bituli was then named the most improved player on defense for the Vols during spring practice. So that makes his potential unlimited entering his senior season on Rocky Top, and Vols fans should be beyond excited. If he can improve that much, Bituli should be come a superstar.

Pruitt said when he installed his system that he wanted linebackers in his 3-4 who could play all four positions. While he’s getting there with newcomers like Quavaris Crouch and Henry To’oto’o, Bituli is currently the only established player on the team who can do that. So expect him to be a major force this year, and he is part of the elite in-state core on Rocky Top.