Tennessee football: 10 senior Vols who need a good spring practice
Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Nashville, Tenn.. 4. 839. Defensive back. Theo Jackson. player
6’2″ 203 pounds
Bryce Thompson declaring for the NFL Draft and Shawn Shamburger and Deangelo Gibbs no longer being on Tennessee football’s roster leaves defensive back wide open heading into the year. With Tim Banks’ desire to rely more heavily on nickel-based defenses, there are probably more open spots as well.
One early enrollee plays defensive back, Christian Charles. However, De’Shawn Rucker, a defensive back, will join the Vols in the summer along with Kaemen Marley, an elite four-star athlete who is likely to move to safety when he arrives. That means lots of competition is on the way.
With those two players coming, Theo Jackson is another senior who needs to have a strong spring. The in-state product of Overton High School has been a role-playing safety for the program over the past three years, and he has an ability to play nickel.
Either opportunity means he has a chance to see the field, especially with the departures of Shamburger and Baylen Buchanan, if he has a strong spring. Over the past two years, he has 84 total tackles, and he has had an interception each season. He also has two passes defended each of the past three seasons. He could be a star. But he has to stand out these next few weeks.