All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football: 10 Vols most likely to win postseason awards in 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) hands the ball off to Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) during an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker (5) hands the ball off to Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) during an SEC conference game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 10
Next
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 /

Senior. Byron Young. 7. player. 839. Edge rusher. Pick Analysis. Scouting Report

6’3″ 245 pounds

He’s a top three player for Tennessee football. Last year, Byron Young didn’t even get to see the field until the third game of the season and took two more games to become a full-time starter. Still, he finished the year with five and a half sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss, both of which tied him for the team leader.

In addition to those stats, Young had an interception, two pass deflections and 46 total tackles, 20 of which were solo. Simply put, he was a playmaker and exactly the type of edge rusher you want in your system. As a result, he’ll obviously make the list of players most likely to earn postseason recognition from UT this year.

However, there’s a reason he isn’t higher. The Vols have three elite edge rushers they can use, and while Mike Ekeler and Rodney Garner rely on Young the most, they also have Tyler Baron, who started last season and racked up lots of stats, and Roman Harrison.

Depending on the scheme Tim Banks uses the most, there will be times when only one of them can see the field, and that might be a majority of the times. As a result, Young may not see a dramatic increase in his role this year, which puts him down here on the list.

Home/Vols Football