Tennessee football vs. Missouri: Five Tigers to watch

6’0″ 210 pounds; Hometown: Ocala, Fla.

After eight tackles, six of which were solo, against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Tyree Gillespie is clearly the versatile safety to keep the Missouri Tigers’ defense going under defensive coordinator Ryan Walters. Gillespie is not an interception machine, but he loves to hit and can be physical, and that could be key to containing Tennessee football’s offense throughout the day.

There’s a reason Gillespie is a preseason All-SEC player. He had four tackles for a loss and a sack last year, and Walters will likely use him on lots of surprise blitz packages the same way Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley use their defensive backs in such packages. This guy could give Jarrett Guarantano a ton of trouble when trying to throw the ball.

Last year, Gillespie only had five tackles, four of which were solo, when he went up against UT. However, he had a sack and seven tackles, six of which were solo, when he faced Rocky Top the year before. As a result, similar to Larry Rountree III, he has proven that he can perform at a high level when going up against a Jeremy Pruitt-coached team.

Given the way he is used even in stopping the run, the elite talent of the Vols’ offensive line may not even be a factor. Walters could sneak him in on so many plays, and it’s up to Jim Chaney to keep an eye on him at all times.