Tennessee football: Five roster observations from start of 2022 fall camp

1. Secondary breakdown is more clear

We found out Sunday that Brandon Turnage was getting looks at cornerback and nickel. However, given the additions of Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets transfer Wesley Walker and Ohio State Buckeyes cornerback Andre Turrentine, neither of whom were here in the spring, it wasn’t clear how Tennessee football’s defensive backs would be organized.

Making things trickier, Turnage missed spring ball along with Kamal Hadden, De’Shawn Rucker and Warren Burrell, all of whom are in competition for staring roles this year along with the two transfers given the departures of Alontae Taylor and Theo Jackson. Well, some of these questions were answered, but they were surprises.

As Rocky Top Insider noted, Walker and Turrentine both got looks at safety. Tamarion McDonald, a returning backup safety, meanwhile, worked out at STAR. All three of those things were surprises. More surprising was the fact that Christian Harrison, a summer enrollee who committed at safety, is now getting work at cornerback.

If all of this holds, then Tennessee football’s rotational safeties will be Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough as starters with Doneiko Slaughter, Turrentine, Walker and newcomer Jourdan Thomas as backups. Cornerback will involve Burrell, Hadden, Turnage, Rucker, Harrison and  Christian Charles. Finally, nickel will involve Slaughter, Turnage and McDonald.