Tennessee football: Midseason awards for 2019 Vols

Newcomer of the Year

Henry To’o To’o; Linebacker

Freshman; 6’2″ 232 pounds; Sacramento, Calif.

Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright had all the hype as the highly-rated offensive linemen. Quavaris Crouch was once considered the best athlete in he nation. But Tennessee football’s top freshman has been Henry To’o To’o, Jeremy Pruitt’s National Signing Day steal out of California, and quite honestly, it hasn’t even been close.

With Daniel Bituli hurt at the beginning of the season, To’o To’o was thrown to the wolves as a true freshman inside linebacker. He wasn’t even there in the spring, and Pruitt and Derrick Ansley had him calling the plays. It was a disastrous and a big reason the Vols lost to the Georgia State Panthers, who had Shawn Elliott running a Steve Spurrier offense with a mobile quarterback.

However, since that game, he has slowly gotten better. He took one bad angle on the touchdown run allowed in regulation against the BYU Cougars. And he has emerged and been a reliable player since then. For the year, To’o To’o has 34 tackles, two and a half tackles for a loss, a fumble recovery and three quarterback hurries.

He has emerged as a key part of the Vols’ future under Pruitt, as he can wrap guys up in the backfield and is always in the right position. With Bituli back, his potential now is unlimited. A targeting penalty last week against the Mississippi State Bulldogs will keep him out of the first half Saturday against the Alabama Crimson Tide. But he should be fine going forward.