Tennessee football’s five offseason priorities for 2022

3. Figure out new defensive line rotation

If there’s one spot Tennessee football took a huge hit, it’s at the defensive line position. Matthew Butler was the Vols’ best player up front this past year. He’s gone. Ja’Quain Blakely and Caleb Tremblay were hybrid linemen who could play in the middle or line up outside. They’re both gone. As a result, the unit will look completely different this year.

Omari Thomas, Da’Jon Terry and Elijah Simmons all have some experience, particularly Thomas and Simmons. However, it’s still going to be a lot of work for Rodney Garner and Tim Banks to figure out the right rotation to use going forward, as replacing last year’s production, particularly what Butler brought to the table, is tough.

The good news for the Vols is that beyond Thomas, Terry and Simmons, there’s the possibility of LaTrell Bumphus and Aubrey Solomon coming back. Also, they have a ton of young talent beyond those guys who should have enough potential to make for a deep unit.

Taking all of that into account, this issue isn’t necessarily a concern for the Vols. They should be fine. However, it is something they need to address in the offseason. If they don’t address it, you can bet that this will turn into a concern.