Tennessee football needs long-term help at defensive back, and that’s where a three-star like Kenney Solomon could be useful. However, this year, things are a little bit different, which is why he’s down here.
The Vols are set with starters at both cornerback positions in Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor, they have a set starter at strong safety in Nigel Warrior, and they have likely starters at free safety and nickel in Trevon Flowers and Baylen Buchanan. Meanwhile, Theo Jackson and Shawn Shamburger are in competition at those positions as well.
On top of this, Solomon was a member of a stacked defensive back recruiting class. There are six official secondary players in the Vols’ 2019 class, although one is listed as an athlete and another hasn’t arrived yet.
Still, Warren Burrell, Jaylen McCullough and Tyus Fields are all four-stars, meaning they were higher-rated than Solomon, and they were also early enrollees. McCullough has already made a splash for Rocky Top.
So with this year’s rotation and the newcomers already on campus, Solomon has an almost impossible task at hand if he wants to find his way into the rotation. He could almost be last on this list, but secondary is a bit more open than receiver.