Tennessee football: Top 10 dark horse Vols for 2021 season
Linebacker. Redshirt sophomore. Kwauze Garland. Scouting Report. 7. player. 839. Pick Analysis
6’1″ 220 pounds; Hometown: Conyers, Ga.
It’s no secret that linebacker is wide open for Tennessee football this year. The losses of Henry To’o To’o, Quavaris Crouch, J.J. Peterson and Martavius French are bad enough. Peterson and French are still in the transfer portal. Crouch went to the Michigan State Spartans. To’o To’o delivered the gut punch by going to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Even if Tim Banks does run more nickel, reducing the number of linebackers from four to mostly two, there is a lot to worry about here. Texas Longhorns transfer Juwan Mitchell, Michigan Wolverines transfer William Mohan and four-star freshman Aaron Willis are getting all the hype. Them you have veterans Solon Page III, Aaron Beasley and Jeremy Banks.
With all of those guys, Kwauze Garland could get lost in the shuffle. However, he’s the only returning player who is not a junior or above. Once a walk-on and the brother of Kurott Garland, Kwauze Garland was actually a standout player for the Vols in the spring.
It’s highly possible that the graduate of Heritage High School in Georgia’s Rockdale County bursts onto the scene this year and becomes the surprise breakout star on Rocky Top. Anything is possible, and given how open everything is at linebacker, Garland’s experience working in the system in the spring could favor him.