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Tennessee football’s 10 biggest injury concerns for 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

From left, Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays (63), Head Coach Josh Heupel, quarterback Hendon Hooker (5), and Offensive Analyst Mitch Militello stand before the Pride of the Southland Band as they perform “Tennessee Waltz” after a win in the NCAA college football game between the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, November 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football
From left, Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays (63), Head Coach Josh Heupel, quarterback Hendon Hooker (5), and Offensive Analyst Mitch Militello stand before the Pride of the Southland Band as they perform “Tennessee Waltz” after a win in the NCAA college football game between the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, November 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football /
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Tennessee defensive back Brandon Turnage (29) after a NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.Kns Tennessee South Carolina Football Bp
Tennessee defensive back Brandon Turnage (29) after a NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the South Carolina Gamecocks at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021.Kns Tennessee South Carolina Football Bp /

Junior. Brandon Turnage. 8. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Defensive back. 839

6’1″ 186 pounds

Potentially the entire rotation of cornerbacks for Tennessee football were out in the spring. Brandon Turnage, Kamal Hadden, Warren Burrell and De’Shawn Rucker all missed spring ball due to a variety of different injuries, which allowed younger guys to develop but also created some concerns about the unit going forward.

Turnage, though, brings the most hype of all of them. The transfer from the Alabama Crimson Tide who hails from Mississippi started one game last year at nickel in place of Theo Jackson, who was hurt, and managed to win SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

With Jackson now gone to the NFL, the role was there for Turnage to just step in and play it. However, he missed the Music City Bowl against the Purdue Boilermakers for an undisclosed injury, and that injury for the graduate of Lafayette High School in Oxford, Miss., ended up carrying into the spring.

As a result, there are no answers to nickel right now for the Vols. Junior college transfer Desmond Williams and the two transfers arriving in the summer, Andre Turrentine from the Ohio State Buckeyes and Wesley Walker from the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, could help, but we don’t know yet if they will for sure. That makes Turnage’s health a concern.

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