Tennessee football: 10 Vols who should have breakout seasons in 2021

6’1″ 225 pounds; Hometown: Franklin, Ga.

It’s pretty obvious that linebacker is a wide open position for Tennessee football. Of the top competitors for the job now, which include Aaron Willis, Juwan Mitchell, William Mohan, Jeremy Banks, Solon Page III and Aaron Beasley, only Page and Banks were actually there during spring ball. The race to start here is wide open.

However, of all those guys, Beasley is the one who could emerge in a shocker. Remember, Beasley was once a defensive back who actually converted to linebacker last year. In the process, he assisted on a tackle for a loss, forced a fumble and came away with seven tackles, four of which were solo, all as a reserve.

The graduate of Heard County High School now has a year of experience under his belt, and with the transfers of Henry To’o To’o, Quavaris Crouch, J.J. Peterson and Martavius French, there is plenty of room for a guy like Beasley to burst onto the scene. He’s the top linebacker candidate who is actually returning to do so.

A huge reason for Beasley’s potential is his experience at defensive back. Tim Banks often times relies more on his linebackers in coverage than Jeremy Pruitt did, and Beasley can provide that. Look for him to be highly productive as a result.