Tennessee football’s top five options to replace Matthew Butler

Injuries limited LaTrell Bumphus in 2021, but he has a ton of untapped potential as a veteran on Tennessee football’s defensive line.

Kurott Garland, Aubrey Solomon and LaTrell Bumphus were Tennessee football’s three experienced defensive tackles who stayed through the transition to Josh Heupel and could have played this year. Solomon being gone opens the door for Garland and Bumphus.

Make no mistake, Bumphus is the guy most in line to replace Matthew Butler. Had he not battled injuries last year, he could have been the main guy then. He’s got the exact same profile as Butler, and it’s likely Tim Banks and Rodney Garner use him as Butler’s replacement this year and then move Tyre West into that same role in 2023.

Anyway, Bumphus is similar to Butler in that he committed as a defensive end back in the 2017 class. Unlike Butler, he has switched positions many more times. He moved from there to tight end to edge rusher in Jeremy Pruitt’s system, and now he’s a defensive tackle.

On the other hand, Bumphus showed promise time and time again and just needed two years in the same role in the same system to himself. He finally has that. Last year, he had just seven tackles, three of which were solo, but don’t forget what he did in 2019. As a by-committee lineman, he had six tackles for a loss and two sacks.

Taking that into account, Bumphus can develop quickly, and with a full season to himself while fully healthy, he should be a breakout star for Tennessee football. As a result, he’s easily the guy best positioned to replace Butler directly up front this year, and he tops this list.