All for Tennessee
Fansided

Ranking Tennessee football’s position units for 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.102420 Ut Bama Gameaction
Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half of a game between Alabama and Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.102420 Ut Bama Gameaction /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 10
Next
Tennessee’s Byron Young is seen at Tennessee football spring practice at University of Tennessee, Thursday, March 24, 2022.Volspractice0324 0850
Tennessee’s Byron Young is seen at Tennessee football spring practice at University of Tennessee, Thursday, March 24, 2022.Volspractice0324 0850 /

5. Defensive end

This unit includes the edge rusher and just the standard defensive end who is in a hybrid role and can line up in the middle for Tennessee football. The latter saw both contributors last year graduate, Caleb Tremblay and Ja’Quain Blakely. It’s what pushes this unit to the middle of the pack.

However, the edge rusher side could give this unit a case to be higher. Byron Young had 11.5 tackles for a loss and five and a half sacks last year despite missing the start of the season. He took the main edge rusher job from Tyler Baron, who was looking like an All-SEC candidate himself before Young was able to emerge.

Along with those two, Roman Harrison is an experienced contributor. You could see Mike Ekeler and Rodney Garner line up two of them on the field this year, with one occupying that defensive end role. It wouldn’t be shocking, as this is where the elite, raw talent is at.

Now, on the other side, if that’s not an option, transfer Austin Lewis joins Dominic Bailey and Amari McNeill to help out. Newcomer Jayson Jenkins also adds depth to that role, and Joshua Josephs and James Pearce do the same at edge rusher. As a result, Tennessee football will be fine. The question is if this unit as a whole becomes a weapon.

Home/Vols Football