Tennessee Football: Five Vols to watch for against Missouri

6’5″ 255 pounds; Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.

This one may come as a bit of a surprise, but Tyler Baron was a physical presence against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The former top 150 recruit seized the opportunity to make an early impact in the SEC when he chose to play for Tennessee football instead of the Ohio State Buckeyes last December.

As a true freshman playing in his first game for the Vols, Baron saw far more meaningful snaps than most fans probably expected. He finished with two solo tackles for loss and supplied a steadfast assault on South Carolina’s backfield.

Baron was one of 11 Vols freshmen who made their debut last week, arguably having the biggest impact amongst all of them. Other freshmen had exciting moments in the game. Safety Doneiko Slaughter registered a sack, and wide receiver Jimmy Holliday came up with the fumble recovery that sealed the game for Tennessee.

However, it’s Baron’s ability to disrupt the backfield from the outside linebacker position that will give Missouri a hard time if they can’t find a way to stop him. Continued pressure and containment from Baron and the other Vols outside linebackers this week are crucial towards a Big Orange victory Saturday.

The youth movement has taken over on Rocky Top. Freshmen played pivotal roles, the fans love it, and playing underclassmen early is something to advertise when recruiting uncommitted high school prospects. Baron showed signs of a bright future in Knoxville. Don’t be surprised if Jeremy Pruitt and Derek Ansley call Baron’s name to provide edge pressure again this Saturday.