Tennessee football continues to battle a number of injuries as the third week of fall practice roll on at the Haslam Practice Field. The Vols got a bit of good news on the injury front Tuesday morning when senior edge rusher Josh Josephs returned to practice.
Josephs has worked off to the side or been absent during open portions of practice since Tennessee’s practice on Saturday, Aug. 2. The projected starting LEO missed Tennessee’s first fall scrimmage last Saturday and him returning to the practice field is a very positive development with kickoff less than three weeks away.
Josephs is entering a critical season both for himself and Tennessee. James Pearce Jr. is off to the NFL, leaving a major hole in Tennessee’s pass rush production behind. Josephs, who was a key piece of Tennessee’s defensive line a season ago, is the obvious candidate to fill that void.
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The Kennesaw, Georgia native he totaled 39 tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles while grading out as one of the best edge rushers in the SEC according to PFF. He was fantastic against the run but just slightly above average rushing the passer and Tennessee needs him to take a major step forward there this season.
For Josephs, showing a strong ability to rush the passer wouldn’t just be important for Tennessee this season but would significantly improve his draft stock. With a big season, Josephs could easily be selected in the top two rounds of next spring’s NFL Draft.
A number of talented Tennessee pass rushers got extra reps with Josephs sidelined. Both Caleb Herring and Jordan Ross could earn big roles this season and help fill the void Pearce’s departure leaves. Tennessee frequently played both Pearce and Josephs on the field together in pass rush situations a season ago.
