Tennessee football: Top 15 dark-horse Vols for 2022
Scouting Report. Defensive back. 4. 839. Pick Analysis. Junior. Tamarion McDonald. player
6’2″ 200 pounds
We’re not done with the secondary just yet. Tamarion McDonald was locked in as a backup last year at safety behind Trevon Flowers and Jaylen McCollough. He’s likely to play a similar role for Tennessee football this year, but if Brandon Turnage moves to cornerback, there’s an opening at nickel he could be in competition to occupy.
McDonald faced more competition the minute in fall camp that Ohio State Buckeyes transfer Andre Turrentine and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets transfer Wesley Walker moved over to safety. Walker has tons of experience, and Turrentine brings tons of hype. Add in Christian Harrison and Jourdan Thomas, and that spot is all of a sudden loaded.
However, that doesn’t mean that McDonald doesn’t bring his own value. Last year, McDonald appeared in 12 games. He came away with nine tackles, eight of which were solo, and registered a tackle for a loss as well. Add in an interception and a pass deflection, and he showed a lot of what he can do.
After two years as a backup, it’s likely Willie Martinez plays McDonald a bit more this year. However, how much he plays remains a question just because of how loaded the Vols are at safety. One injury, though, could make McDonald a full-time starter.