Tennessee football: 10 Vols most likely to receive 2019 postseason recognition

Wanya Morris is on this list because of his potential as a breakout freshman. Bryce Thompson was that guy for Tennessee football last year. A four-star athlete, it was a bit of a surprise when Jeremy Pruitt put him at cornerback. But Pruitt proved he was a defensive genius, as Thompson became a freshman All-American with three interceptions.

Entering his sophomore season, Thompson is a guy who has already exploded onto the scene and figures to do more. There are other starters who could win postseason awards here in Thompson and Alontae Taylor, another freshman athlete Pruitt plugged in at cornerback last year. Nigel Warrior, as the senior safety, could also be a major force.

But Warrior is likely to be the glue guy who doesn’t get all the recognition despite his importance. Thompson is more of a ball-hawking guy than Taylor, at least at this point. So he’s the secondary guy most likely to gain some sort of postseason recognition.

Given Thompson’s physical abilities, demonstrated with four tackles for a loss and a sack, he’ll have a few more chances to stand out in Pruitt’s schemes as well. Those things all warrant him a spot in the middle of the pack on this list. His athletic ability might bait people to throw his way more as well, giving him more chances for lots of stats.