Defensive Line
Daniel:
DE: 1. Derek Barnett 2. LaTroy Lewis/Kyle Phillips
DT: 1. Owen Williams 2. Shy Tuttle/Trevarris Saulsberry
DT: 1. Kahlil McKenzie 2. Danny O’Brien/Kendal Vickers
DE: 1. Curt Maggitt 2. Corey Vereen
Thoughts: I don’t know exactly how they’re going to do it, and that’s a good thing for the Vols. That means they have options – something they haven’t had in awhile. I feel good about the starting ends, though it will be a battle behind them. I see the defensive tackle spots as more of a rotation than a depth chart. I see those six guys having the biggest roles, but admittedly have no clue what order they would go in at this point.
Houston:
DE: 1. Derek Barnett 2. LaTroy Lewis/Kyle Phillips
DT: 1. Danny O’Brien. 2. Kendal Vickers/Kahlil McKenzie
DT: 1. Owen Williams 2. Shy Tuttle
DE: 1. Curt Maggitt 2. Corey Vereen/Dimarya Mixon
Thoughts: After the spring, I said this about the defensive line, “It doesn’t really matter who starts, because the Vols will finally be able to utilize a deep rotation of talented players at every position.”
It still holds true. Butch Jones has been mentioning that the newcomers at defensive tackle (i.e. McKenzie and Tuttle) will have to play a lot of football for the Vols in 2015. That tells me that he thinks they are both ready to get some work done in the trenches. Like Daniel, I agree that it doesn’t matter who starts because a solid rotation is finally in place.
Reed:
DE: 1. Derek Barnett 2. LaTroy Lewis/Kyle Phillips
DT: 1. Kahlil McKenzie 2. Danny O’Brien
DT: 1. Owen Williams 2. Shy Tuttle
DE: 1. Curt Maggitt 2. Corey Vereen
Thoughts: No changes here for me. The Vols should play a solid rotation of five or six defensive tackles and have the talent to rotate at end as well. This group, even though its highly touted, will probably still surprise some people.
