All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: Top 10 breakout Vols from 2021 season

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 2, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jabari Small (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 2, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jabari Small (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Bowling Green Falcons during the first quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 10
Next
From left, Tennessee linebacker Solon Page III (38), defensive back Trevon Flowers (1), and linebacker Aaron Beasley (24) celebrate a fumble recovery against South Carolina in the NCAA college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, October 9, 2021. Tennessee won 45-20 in the SEC home opener.Utvsc1007
From left, Tennessee linebacker Solon Page III (38), defensive back Trevon Flowers (1), and linebacker Aaron Beasley (24) celebrate a fumble recovery against South Carolina in the NCAA college football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, October 9, 2021. Tennessee won 45-20 in the SEC home opener.Utvsc1007 /

Pick Analysis. Linebacker. Junior. player. Scouting Report. Aaron Beasley. 9. 839

6’1″ 225 pounds

Yes, multiple linebackers made this list for Tennessee football. Honestly, the PFF grades weren’t there for any of them, but the production relative to what they did in 2020 was still incredible, and they made up for a lot of issues facing the program at this position.

Initially altering between a defensive back and a linebacker, Aaron Beasley had off-the-field issues that kept him away from the team last spring. He seemed destined to be buried in the depth chart, and in his previous two seasons under Jeremy Pruitt, he totaled nine tackles, half a tackle for a loss and a forced fumble.

Well, in 2021, Beasley worked his way into a starting role, and he became a critical playmaker. For the year, Beasley had 84 tackles, 34 of which were solo, seven and a half tackles for a loss, one and a half sacks and two fumble recoveries. It’s safe to call that a dramatic increase in production.

Of course, there were issues with Beasley, particularly what he did in coverage. He struggled severely with quarterback containment and couldn’t get off blocks, which is why his regular season PFF grade was at 53, but he still did a lot of things right and did more than enough to earn his spot on this list.

Home/Vols Football