Tennessee football 2020 preview by position: LBs

Projected starting outside linebackers

Deandre Johnson; Senior; 6’3″ 246 pounds; Miami, Fla.

Similar to Darrell Taylor, Deandre Johnson was recruited as a defensive end to play in a nickel-based 4-3. However, the graduate of Miami Southridge High School in South Florida has had to make the transition to outside linebacker under Jeremy Pruitt while remaining versatile enough to play up on the line. So far, he’s been solid.

Last year, Johnson had four and a half tackles for a loss, two and a half sacks, a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. And he did that as a by-committee player. Now, likely to be a full-time starter as a senior, Johnson could be poised for a breakout year. He may not be able to fill Taylor’s shoes, but he can be exactly what Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley need.

Kivon Bennett; Redshirt junior; 6’2″ 235 pounds; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

If Tennessee football does have an outside linebacker in place to fill Darrell Taylor’s shoes, Kivon Bennett is that outside linebacker. The graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School, also in South Florida, had a semi-breakout year of his own. He was also a by-committee player, but he came away with 27 tackles and tied for second on the team with six tackles for a loss.

Of those six tackles for a loss, two were sacks. We should mention that Bennett led the team with nine quarterback hurries, so he was consistently bringing pressure, and he also had a pass breakup. Now, with the chance to be a full-time starter, Bennett could be a stats machine for the Vols, so look out for his potential to burst onto the scene.