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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
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

Final Take

With the commitment of Dominic Bailey, Tennessee football is surprisingly set with depth at the defensive tackle position for the future. The Vols could always add more talent, but Bailey joins Kingston Harris, Kurrott Garland and Greg Emerson as defensive tackles who will all be there beyond 2020.

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As a result, the major focus for Jeremy Pruitt has to be beefing up that defensive end spot, where right now only John Mincey is a serious contender as a future player. Sure, it’s not as important with only one spot on the line, but more help is always appreciated.

The goal for the Vols should be one more defensive tackle in this class and three defensive ends, all of whom would be four-star recruits. That way, they have a collection of talented guys to choose from when the future comes.

Ideally, two more defensive tackles and four more defensive ends makes for a much more perfect scenario, especially since the ends can move to outside linebacker in Pruitt’s 3-4 scheme. But with three ends, two more tackles allows potentially for another end given what Pruitt likes in his system. Simply put, UT just needs more linemen.

Prediction

Thanks to in-state talent, a historically great recruiting class on the line is coming. Tennessee football is about to seriously beef up at defensive tackle, as they will add four-stars Octavious Oxendine and Omari Thomas, getting Oxendine from Kentucky and convincing Thomas, coming out of Memphis to stay in the state.

Then they’ll secure commitments from in-state prospects Tyler Baron, Jay Hardy and Tre’vonn Rybka at defensive end. Yes, all three-four-stars will commit to the Vols. The only question may be Rybka, but UT will get him from the Kentucky Wildcats.

Next. Projecting the Vols' 2019 2-deep depth chart. dark

When it’s all over, Tennessee football will have three four-star defensive tackle commitments and three four-star defensive end commitments, taking advantage of elite in-state talent. All of this will explain why Jordan Davis decommitted in the end, and it will be a huge deal for the Vols as Pruitt scores huge in his quest to dominate the line of scrimmage.

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