Tennessee football’s top five options to replace Matthew Butler

One of the most highly touted members of Tennessee football’s 2022 recruiting class, Tyre West figures to make an early impact.

We’re finally at the players who have the same profile as Matthew Butler. Tyre West was a four-star commitment across the board for Tennessee football, and he was also an early enrollee. He had five sacks in the Vols’ one scrimmage open to the public in the spring, and he consistently got shoutouts from the coaches.

As a result, all signs point to West becoming a standout defensive tackle for the Vols. There are two pure defensive tackles and one potential hybrid defensive tackle who committed to Rocky Top during this past class, and West is the star among all of them.

Whether or not he is able to work his way into the rotation this year remains to be seen, but what’s clear is the fact that Josh Heupel recruited him to be the long-term replacement to Butler. He was a huge steal by the Vols right as the Early Signing Period arrived, and that will likely be a steal that pays off for them in a huge way going forward.

Now, while his profile is similar to Butler’s, West’s profile is also similar to multiple other defensive tackles in the system right now. That’s what leaves his ability to replace Butler this year somewhat in question, but those other players will be gone in 2023, which positions him for the future to shine.