6’5″ 255 pounds; Hometown: Knoxville, Tenn.
One of Rocky Top’s many true freshmen that have seen the field an awful lot this season, Tyler Baron has thrown together 16 total tackles – 10 solo so far in his first year as a Vol. Though he may not get credit for his efforts on the stat sheet, the former Knoxville Catholic standout is in the backfield on many of the plays he’s assigned to rush and create pressure.
Aside from Alabama’s Mac Jones, Florida’s Kyle Trask on Saturday will be one of, if not the best quarterback Baron faces all season. His ability to rush the edge and disrupt Trask’s motion on Saturday afternoon will be paramount for Tennessee football’s chances of pulling off the upset.
Trask, who’s thrown for 2,810 yards and 34 touchdowns through eight games, has only been sacked eight times this season. For what it’s worth, opposing defenses have found a way to bring him to the ground at least once over the Gator’s last four contests.
Baron and the rest of UT’s outside linebacker group must make his job a little bit more difficult at Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Look for the true freshman to create backfield chaos, as he does, and get rewarded on the stats sheet for it in Week 14.