Tennessee football’s top five juniors for 2021

Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright (58) during morning football practice on campus on Friday, August 20, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp
Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright (58) during morning football practice on campus on Friday, August 20, 2021.Kns Ut Football Practice Bp /
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Tennessee defensive lineman Kurott Garland (79) is defended by Tennessee offensive lineman Dayne Davis (66) at the Orange & White spring game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, April 24, 2021.Kns Vols Spring Game
Tennessee defensive lineman Kurott Garland (79) is defended by Tennessee offensive lineman Dayne Davis (66) at the Orange & White spring game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, April 24, 2021.Kns Vols Spring Game /

839. 4. player. Conyers, Ga.. Kurott Garland. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Defensive lineman

6’3″ 310 pounds

Josh Heupel added a couple of key defensive line transfers himself in Caleb Tremblay, a graduate transfer senior, from the USC Trojans and Da’Jon Terry from the Kansas Jayhawks. Aubrey Solomon, meanwhile, is the returning key player at the position. However, Kurott Garland is still key to the rotation no matter what.

The graduate of Heritage High School in Georgia’s Rockdale County emerged as a starter for Tennessee football towards the end of the 2019 season despite entering the transfer portal earlier in the year amid signs that he couldn’t move ahead of Greg Emerson. Well, Emerson has since entered the transfer portal along with Darel Middleton.

Garland, meanwhile, has become a staple up front for UT. Over the past two years, he has registered 40 tackles, 19 of which were solo, and three tackles for a loss. That’s in limited action at times too if you look at the rotation that was used in Jeremy Pruitt’s 3-4.

This year, even if Tremblay and Solomon are the main defensive tackles, Garland will be as much a part of the rotation as anybody. His experience with the Vols combined with his proven ability to develop are what put him on here. The guy could become a star this year.