Tennessee football: Five Vols to watch for at South Carolina

6’2″ 225 pounds; Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.

While Kivon Bennett can get pressure on Collin Hill when he tries to throw the ball downhill, Henry To’o To’o can help in the other two ways Tennessee football needs to stop the South Carolina Gamecocks. If USC offensive coordinator Mike Bobo throws it short, he’ll almost always be targeting the tight ends. Otherwise, he’ll be running the ball a lot.

To’o To’o, the new leader of the Vols’ defense, is the one guy who could be crucial to stopping both as the main inside linebacker. He can close the gaps on running plays and drop back in coverage to make sure the tight ends don’t torch the Vols down the field. He will be key to completely shutting down anything the Gamecocks can do on offense.

Last year, To’o To’o had a disastrous opener. He was a true freshman and was tasked with calling the plays in Daniel Bituli’s absence. However, he’s a completely different player now, and the coaches are putting a lot of faith in him to be the star. There are expectations for him to take a giant leap forward.

This is a great first test for To’o To’o in his new role and new inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer, who moved over from tight ends coach. Although Quavaris Crouch and Jeremy Banks will help on the other side, To’o To’o is the most important inside linebacker to taking away South Carolina’s mix of the run and intermediate passing game.