9. Defensive back
You could make a case for this unit being last. Tennessee football’s secondary was atrocious against the Purdue Boilermakers in the Music City Bowl, and at issue was the absence of Alontae Taylor, their best cornerback, who opted out of the bowl to focus on the draft. He’s gone for good, now, and nickel Theo Jackson has also left.
There’s no clear replacement for either, especially Taylor, but depth last year and offseason newcomers should help. Brandon Turnage and Doneiko Slaughter both showed promise at nickel. Kamal Hadden showed promise as a No. 2 cornerback. Meanwhile, Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough are back for experience at safety.
However, McCollough had a low PFF regular season grade too, and he struggles with the same containment issue the linebackers struggle with. Warren Burrell is back, but he moved into Taylor’s spot in the Music City Bowl, suggesting he really can’t cover teams’ No. 1 wide receivers. That’s the big issue here for Tim Banks and Willie Martinez to figure out.
Transfers Andre Turrentine and Wesley Walker along with newcomers Dee Williams, Christian Harrison and Jourdan Thomas provide depth. Cheyenne Labruzza, Christian Charles, De’Shawn Rucker and Tamarion McDonald are also on the roster, so the bodies are there. Last year’s performance combined with the questions, though, outweigh that.