Tennessee football: Five key Vols to watch for at Georgia
Scouting Report. Linebacker. 4. r-Senior. Juwan Mitchell. player. 839. Pick Analysis
6’1″ 234 pounds
While Omari Thomas could have his breakout game this week, Juwan Mitchell had his last week. Mitchell was another key part of Tennessee football stopping Kentucky’s run. He actually led the team in tackles with eight, even though only two were solo, but what he did in the passing game is what really stood out.
Mitchell came away with a huge red zone interception to kill one of only two good drives by Kentucky. Now, Doneiko Slaughter gets credit for the hit, but Mitchell had to be in the right position, and staying in position on passing plays has been an issue for UT linebackers.
The Vols, to be fair, have developed on that front, and combined with that development has been Mitchell getting healthy. Remember, he came back from a season-ending injury and needed time to get back into a rhythm, but he is the Vols’ most experienced and proven linebacker if you look at his Texas Longhorns days, and he may be hitting his stride.
For the year, Mitchell has just 16 tackles, 10 of which were solo, but he’s knocked down two passes. The combination of him, Aaron Beasley and Jeremy Banks will be huge. While Beasley is best in coverage and off the edge, Banks is best off the edge. Mitchell is a hybrid, and that’s most important against UGA.