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Tennessee football: Ranking every starter from 2020 who returned by performance in 2021

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee defensive back Alontae Taylor (2) high-fives fans after defeating South Carolina 45-20 in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.Kns Tennessee South Carolina Football
Tennessee defensive back Alontae Taylor (2) high-fives fans after defeating South Carolina 45-20 in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.Kns Tennessee South Carolina Football /
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Oct 23, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Kenneth George Jr. (5) recovers a fumble by Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jameson Williams (not pictured) during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2021; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Kenneth George Jr. (5) recovers a fumble by Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jameson Williams (not pictured) during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports /

In spite of all the players lost to transfer from this past year, Tennessee football had plenty of starters and key rotational players return. In fact, 21 Vols who started at least one game in 2020 came back for 2021. There were 15 Vols who started multiple games while being key rotational players for all of 2020 who returned in 2021 and weren’t limited.

The exceptions to that were Doneiko Slaughter, Cooper Mays, Tamarion McDonald, LaTrell Bumphus, Aubrey Solomon and K’Rojhn Calbert. Slaughter, Mays and McDonald started just one or two games in 2020 and weren’t rotational players for most of that year. Bumphus, Solomon and Calbert were all limited in 2021 due to injury.

With those players out of the picture, this post will break down the rest. All of these guys deserve credit for sticking with the program from Jeremy Pruitt to Josh Heupel. This is our ranking of Tennessee football’s 15 rotational players in 2021 who returned from 2020.

Defensive back. Kenneth George Jr.. 15. player. 839. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Redshirt senior

5’11” 203 pounds

After starting half the season in 2019 and 2020 and being a situational cornerback his whole career, Kenneth George Jr. saw his playing time and production decrease this year. George, who was a junior college transfer in 2018 and remained a reliable rotational defensive back for depth, didn’t even play 100 snaps this past year.

It was partially due to injury, as George did miss the final four games and was on the sideline in street clothes for all of them. Being limited like that was going to hurt his production, hwoever, it wasn’t the same as Bumphus, Solomon and Calbert.

For the year, George had four total tackles and a tackle for a loss. Overall in his career, though, he was a reliable rotational No. 2 cornerback for Tennessee football. His two years in 2019 and 2020 as a regular on Jeremy Pruitt’s team proved that. However, he is out of eligibility, so he won’t be back for the Vols next year.

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