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Evaluating Tennessee football’s 2023 class at dead period: LB

By Caleb Calhoun

Rossview's RJ McNeil (9) runs the ball as Riverdale's Caleb Herring (11) tackles him on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at Riverdale.3 Riverdale Vs Rossview Football
Rossview's RJ McNeil (9) runs the ball as Riverdale's Caleb Herring (11) tackles him on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, at Riverdale.3 Riverdale Vs Rossview Football /
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Nov 27, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Jeremy Banks (33) during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Jeremy Banks (33) during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

LBs on roster who will still be eligible in 2023

Jeremy Banks (r-Senior)

Aaron Beasley (Senior)

Juwan Mitchell (r-Senior)

Jackson Hannah (r-Junior)

William Mohan (r-Sophomore)

Elijah Herring (Freshman)

Kalib Perry (Freshman)

Kwauze Garland (r-Junior)

West Shuler (r-Junior)

Matt Gaca (r-Senior)

Noah Young (Senior)

Will Albright (r-Sophomore)

Mekhi Bigelow (Freshman)

Ben Bolton (Freshman)

While Solon Page III will be gone next year, Jeremy Banks and Aaron Beasley will be gone the year after. That was Tennessee football’s rotation at linebacker this past year. Banks and Beasley are able to come back for another year because of the COVID eligibility ruling in 2020. Also, if Banks has a good season in 2022, he could be gone next year.

Beyond those two, Juwan Mitchell suffered a season-ending injury last year, and he’s still the most high-profile talent at the position. While getting hurt allowed him another year of eligibility, he will also be gone by 2023, meaning the projected top producers for the Vols this year all have at most two seasons left.

At that point, the only scholarship players currently on the roster they will have are William Mohan, Elijah Herring, Kalib Perry and Kwauze Garland, and Garland was initially a walk-on. To be fair, Jackson Hannah is technically a walk-on who has scholarship talent. Anyway, Brian Jean-Mary and Mike Ekeler will have a lot of work in front of them when 2024 arrives.

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