By Vince Ferrara
Defensive Line at Tennessee is today’s early summer position focus as I look at the Tennessee football team.
This is the 6th in a series of nine straight days of separate posts by position. Check my blog page daily here at SportsRadioWNML.com for the other positions.
My current projected starters are in bold. I’ve listed the average star rating entering college from the four major recruiting websites (Rivals, 247Sports, Scout and ESPN.)
Vince’s View
Defensive Line
LDE
1 Jonathan Kongbo R-JR 6’6 270 4*
5 Kyle Phillips JR 6’4 259 5*
94 Mykelle McDaniel R-FR 6’3 220 3*
44 Ryan Thaxton FR 6’4 220 3*
– Marquez Bembry FR 6’2 215 3*
LDT
99 Kahlil McKenzie JR 6’3 325 5*
2 Shy Tuttle JR 6’2 311 4*
55 Quay Picou JR 6’1 277 3*
27 Eric Crosby FR 6’1 325 4*
RDT
39 Kendal Vickers R-SR 6’3 295 2*
98 Alexis Johnson R-JR 6’4 295 4*
97 Paul Bain R-JR 6’5 290 *walk-on
95 Kivon Bennett FR 6’2 285 3*
RDE
19 Darrell Taylor R-SO 6’4 240 4*
13 Deandre Johnson FR 6’4 235 3*
48 Ja’Quain Blakely R-FR 6’2 230 3*
56 Matthew Butler FR 6’4 285 3*
Position summary: As you can see, this is very big group in number of bodies. Unfortunately, there are tons of questions inside and outside. DT Kendal Vickers has 26 of the 31 total starts for 19 players, scholarship and walk-ons, on the defensive line. This is a group that needs to improve with new DL coach Brady Hoke and new strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson.
At end, UT’s all-time sack leader, Derek Barnett, must be replaced not only in production but in snaps. He rarely came off the field. You’re next two top ends, Corey Vereen and LaTroy Lewis, are gone as well. Likely stepping into starting roles are Jonathan Kongbo and Darrell Taylor. Kongbo started 2 games at defensive tackle at the end of last season, but has now moved back to his more natural end position where he wanted to play all along. Taylor has been a light rotational player who’s appeared in 8 games his first two playing seasons. Teammates have always referred to him as a freak athlete. Taylor looked good this spring, but starting and playing three or four times the snaps is a different story. After that, there’s 5-star Kyle Phillips who has had an injury and inconsistency plagued career, early enroll true freshman Deandre Johnson and four more freshmen. That’s a lot of hoping for the best.
Inside at tackle, you feel good about veteran Kendal Vickers returning from missing spring practice as a starter. I have Kahlil McKenzie listed as a starter ahead of Shy Tuttle because of the expectation that Tuttle won’t be healthy enough by the season opener. That remains to be seen. Health and level of play are unknowns for both McKenzie, a 5-star signee in 2015, and Tuttle. Tuttle has been better when healthy, but I don’t think he was as good last year before he got hurt as he was before the broken leg two years ago. Spring first teamers Alexis Johnson and Quay Picou are unknowns. I think true freshman DT Eric Crosby is the closest to being physically ready to contribute among the five summer enrolls on the defensive line. I think Crosby is a top 3 impact player on this year’s team from the summer freshmen enrolls.
The development and health of this position group is more connected to UT’s team success this year than even the quarterbacks.
Hope you enjoyed my review of the University of Tennessee football defensive line as we sit here in June. Go to my blog page for the rest of the position breakdowns. I have much more to say on UT football than this. Listen for me on Sports Radio WNML, call in and let’s talk some football. Thanks for reading and sharing.
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