Tennessee football: Strongest metro areas for Vols on 2019 roster

7. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

We’re staying in South Florida for our next region producing talent for Tennessee football, and this region includes one player from Miami and one from Hollywood, Fla., which is halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Florida doesn’t look like it’ll be as much a pipeline for Jeremy Pruitt as it was for Butch Jones, but it clearly has some talent for this year.

Ironically, both of these guys play the same position. The most notable among them is Deandre Johnson. He is a rising junior, and he is the one from Miami. Johnson figures to be the main guy to start opposite Darrell Taylor at outside linebacker after he emerged at the position last year when Jonathan Kongbo went down with a season-ending injury.

This season gives Johnson, another one of the players who moved away from defensive end when Jeremy Pruitt installed his 3-4, to make a huge splash. And he could really represent Miami well for Rocky Top.

Right up behind him, though, is another South Florida prospect in Kivon Bennett. Coming from Hollywood, Bennett had a great spring and is now threatening to be in the rotation. If Johnson holds onto the starting spot, Bennett will still be a major player getting involved.

By 2020, the Vols could be starting Bennett and Johnson at outside linebacker, both players from this region. Ironically, Bennett is from Hollywood, but the fourth threatening outside linebacker is Jordan Allen, a guy from California. Anyway, Bennett and Johnson are both legitimate players who could have an impact this year.