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Evaluating Tennessee football’s 2020 recruiting class at dead period: Vols Defensive Line

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 15: A view of the outside of Neyland Stadium before a game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers on September 15, 2012 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

Tennessee football has one defensive linemen committed for its 2020 recruiting class. Here’s a look at where the Volunteers stand overall at the position.

Defensive line was already a desperate need for Tennessee football heading into this year. It was the Vols’ best position in 2018, but all three starters in Jeremy Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme, Kyle Phillips, Alexis Johnson and Shy Tuttle, are gone along with reserve contributor Paul Bain.

As a result, Pruitt went the junior college and transfer routes for immediate replacement help. That included bringing in Darel Middleton, Savion Williams and Aubrey Solomon, a Michigan Wolverines transfer. Meanwhile, Emmit Gooden is the only returning contributor, and he is a lock to start, while Matthew Butler stood out to start on the end.

Here’s the problem with all of this: Middleton, Williams, Butler and Solomon, if he’s granted a waiver, are all juniors. Gooden is a senior. Other potential contributors in Ja’Quain Blakely and LaTrell Bumphus are also juniors. So that means Tennessee football still desperately needs help beyond 2020.

They got some help with four-star Elijah Simmons, a 6’2″ 344-pound defensive tackle in this class. Meanwhile, Kingston Harris, Kurrott Garland, and Greg Emerson are all redshirt freshman defensive tackles. John Mincey is a sophomore who could play on the end.

So the Vols are still in pretty good shape with depth for the future, but they need more help. The decommitment of Jordan Davis last week, a four-star who could have lined up as an edge rusher but flipped to the Mississippi State Bulldogs, was another major blow. It leaves Rocky Top needing more for 2020.

In our evaluation of the class as it currently stands, we’re going to include weakside defensive ends in the group. Sure, in Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme, they may line up as outside linebackers, but as edge rushers they could still play on the line in four-down sets, and there’s a chance they could put on weight to become full-time defensive ends.

With that information, let’s take a look at where the Vols currently stand up front, which is crucial in the SEC. As usual, we’ll start with commitments before looking at top elite prospects, other top prospects, potential prospects, a final take and a prediction. This is our evaluation of the 2020 Tennessee football recruiting class on the defensive line during the dead period.

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