Secondary has a lot to prove
KNOXVILLE — The Times Free Press is taking a daily positional look at the Tennessee football team, leading up to the first day of practice on Friday. So far we’ve looked at quarterback, running back, wide receiver/tight end, offensive line, defensive line and linebacker. Today we round out the defense with a look at the secondary:
Who’s back
Any conversation concerning the defensive backfield begins with sophomore cornerbacks Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor. Thompson was a Freshman All-American, picking off three passes and breaking up seven in his first season in the program. Taylor had 40 tackles and a pair of forced fumbles. Then that conversation turns to Nigel Warrior, the starter at safety who was second on the team in tackles last year. He’s had his struggles but has been a solid player for much of his Volunteers career. It’s expected that those three have starting spots lined up, but after that there’s a lot of mystery. Baylen Buchanan started all 12 games last season but according to reports has had a shoulder issue that’s limited him this offseason.Trevon Flowers missed five games due to a broken collarbone but had a solid first season in the program. Shawn Shamburger and Kenneth George lead the list of other players coming back and looking to contribute.
Who’s new
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff loaded up in the secondary during the last recruiting cycle, with five players coming in since the season finale. Three of those — Warren Burrell, Tyus Fields and Jaylen McCollough — enrolled in January and participated in spring practice, with McCollough intercepting a pair of passes in the spring game. Georgia transfer Deangelo Gibbs also arrived in the spring and spent time on both sides of the ball. He projects most likely to play in the defensive backfield as opposed to receiver and likely would be in contention to play at the nickel position, but it’s still unclear as to whether he’ll even be eligible this season, pending the NCAA decision on his appeal to play immediately. Aaron Beasley is another versatile player who could end up on either side of the ball but likely will start on defense, while Kenney Solomon was one of the fastest athletes in South Carolina and was a late addition.
Strengths
Taylor and Thompson went through the wars and took their blows in their first season with the program, but the belief is that the year made them better prepared for the rigors of Southeastern Conference competition. Warrior brings a certain level of experience, as does Buchanan if he is healthy enough to play. Flowers and Jackson showed enough to be able to be counted on, with the expectation that one likely will start opposite Warrior at safety.
Weaknesses
There’s a lack of proven depth. There are bodies but not a lot of veteran experience on the roster, with the true freshmen likely to be needed. There just isn’t much in the way of known quantities — which seems to be a theme for the team as a whole — for anybody to truly feel confident about the ability, although the Vols appear to have upgraded in talent.