Tennessee football: Five Vols to watch for at Missouri Tigers

Greg Emerson, Aubrey Solomon and Darel Middleton have made up the elite inside defensive line rotation this year for Tennessee football, which has finally started to emerge after a disastrous start to the season. Who didn’t see that disastrous start coming, though, with three starters gone and the season-ending injury to Emmit Gooden?

Anyway, while all of them will be key, Middleton is the most important defensive lineman for the Vols. He has really emerged in recent weeks, and with his 6’7″ frame, he has the ability to bat balls down at the line of scrimmage in addition to rushing the passer. At the Missouri Tigers, that could end up making a huge difference.

Kelly Bryant is a rare quarterback because he is mobile but also has good size at 6’3″. That makes it very difficult for a defensive lineman to make a difference. Their focus is getting a push to stop Larry Rountree III in the middle and clog up the line so the edge rushers can make a difference.

All of the linemen will be crucial on that front. But Middleton has a huge role to play because he is one guy, with his size, who could actually give Bryant major problems when he tries to throw the ball from behind the line of scrimmage. As a result, he will be another key defender for the Vols. If he does it, the ends and outside linebackers can make major splash plays.