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Tennessee football’s 15 safest starting spots on 2022 roster in fall camp

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) hands the ball off to Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) during a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.Kns Tennessee Florida Football
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) hands the ball off to Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) during a game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla. on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021.Kns Tennessee Florida Football /
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Oct 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Byron Young (6) on the field during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Byron Young (6) on the field during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

Pick Analysis. Byron Young. 9. 839. Scouting Report. Edge rusher. Senior. player

6’3″ 245 pounds

He’s arguably the biggest star on Tennessee football’s defense this year, and as an impact player, he’s top three to five on the team. However, Byron Young plays a position that has three elite players when you include him, so while he’s the best of the returning bunch, he never doesn’t have competition at edge rusher.

Remember, Tyler Baron started at edge rusher last year. Roman Harrison stood out in the spring. Baron had seven tackles for a loss and four sacks, and Harrison had three and a half tackles for a loss and a sack, so both guys could push for more action at any point.

Still, Young is mostly safe in his starting role. He didn’t even play the first two games due to eligibility issues, and once he saw the field, he wreaked havoc. For the year, his 11.5 tackles for a loss and five and a half sacks tied Jeremy Banks as the team leader, and again, he did it seeing much less action than Banks did due to him not being able to play early on.

There’s a reason Young was the only official first team Preseason All-SEC Vol. He’s a dominant edge rusher. One thing making his starting spot safer is that Tim Banks may run two edge rushers this year, as the departures of Caleb Tremblay and Ja’Quain Blakely could leave a void that Baron might fill on the other side.

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