Tennessee football: Baylen Buchanan being out reshuffles Vols secondary

Tennessee football defensive back Baylen Buchanan is out due to a spinal issue. Here is how his absence could reshuffle part of the Volunteers’ secondary.

Jeremy Pruitt delivered more bad news for Tennessee football on the injury front Tuesday when he said that defensive back Baylen Buchanan is out indefinitely due to an issue with his spine. Doctors are working on it, and the senior may take a redshirt.

But Buchanan, the son of Ray Buchanan, is one of the most intelligent players on the team. He picked up Bob Shoop’s defense almost immediately and transitioned smoothly to the 3-4 last year. It was likely he’d be the main guy at star this year. So him being out can be devastating.

At this moment, Shawn Shamburger is the favorite to replace Buchanan. He was in a decent position to be the starter at nickel anyway. Cheyenne Labruzza was the guy behind him who could be making a push. So if Pruitt just plugs him in, the secondary would look somewhat like this list.

CB – Bryce Thompson
CB – Alontae Taylor
S – Nigel Warrior
S – Trevon Flowers/Jaylen McCullough/Theo Jackson/Maleik Gray
Star – Shawn Shamburger/Cheyenne Labruzza

However, Pruitt may end up reshuffling the entire back end of the Vols’ secondary with him out. Despite being completely set at cornerback with sophomores Alontae Taylor and Bryce Thompson, the back end is a bit up in the air. All that was clear is Nigel Warrior, another son of an NFL star, this time former Vol Dale Carter, would start as he enters his senior season.

A staple in the secondary and the glue guy back there, Warrior is the only returning safety with Todd Kelly Jr. and Micah Abernathy gone. He figured to be Tennessee football’s main safety. But Pruitt has consistently talked about the possibility of him moving over to star.

Well, that could happen now. What if Warrior does move to star? At that point, it’s likely he would turn to Trevon Flowers, Jaylen McCullough, Theo Jackson and Maleik Gray at safety. A potential starting lineup in the secondary could look like this bullet list below.

CB – Bryce Thompson
CB – Alontae Taylor
S – Trevon Flowers/Jaylen McCullough
S – Theo Jackson/Maleik Gray
Star – Nigel Warrior

Maybe Flowers and McCullough start together, and maybe Gray and Jackson start together at safety. But you get the picture. The original lineup likely would have been Warrior and any of the other four guys as the two safeties with Buchanan at star.

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But then there’s another twist. Warren Burrell has apparently been making a push at cornerback in fall camp. Does that mean Pruitt could keep Warrior at safety and use Burrell at star? Or, could he use Burrell at cornerback and move one of the corners, surprisingly, over to star? Either way, one of these lists could be this year’s lineup.

CB – Bryce Thompson
CB – Alontae Taylor
S – Nigel Warrior
S – Trevon Flowers/Jaylen McCullough/Theo Jackson/Maleik Gray
Star – Warren Burrell

It could be this as well.

CB – Bryce Thompson
CB – Warren Burrell
S – Nigel Warrior
S – Trevon Flowers/Jaylen McCullough/Theo Jackson/Maleik Gray
Star – Alontae Taylor

Or maybe Taylor, Thompson, Warrior and one of the other safeties are the starters when Pruitt has four defensive backs on the field, bu either Warrior or Taylor moves over to star when five are on the field, giving two of those other safeties a chance to start or Burrell to play cornerback. Simply put, Tennessee football has options.

Tennessee football: How Baylen Buchanan being out reshuffles Vols secondary

By Caleb Calhoun | Aug 14, 2019

Tennessee football defensive back Baylen Buchanan is out due to a spinal issue. Here is how his absence could reshuffle part of the Volunteers’ secondary.