Tennessee football has prioritized building up depth on the defensive line to let Rodney Garner rotate at will without a dropoff. Last year was a prime example of the impact that can have with the Vols fielding one of the better fronts in the country. However, in 2025, UT doesn’t have the depth it previously had on the interior.
With Omarr Norman-Lott, Elijah Simmons and Omari Thomas all off to the professional ranks, Tennessee is relying on returners Jaxson Moi, Daevin Hobbs and Bryson Eason to carry most of the load. However, with Moi and Hobbs sidelined due to injury, a thin room has shown its lack of depth.
The solution has been to slide in sixth-year senior Dominic Bailey from defensive end to a defensive tackle role. This change, along with snaps taken by Nathan Robinson, Ethan Utley and Jamal Wallace, has resulted in a competent front. With confidence that Tyre West, Tyree Weathersby and a little bit of Mariyon Dye can hold it down at defensive end, Bailey’s change is the key piece, though.
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In the recent loss to Georgia, Bailey played only on the interior. He recorded 65 snaps with the defense playing 95 total. This was only one snap behind Eason for the most snaps played from a defensive lineman in the game.
Bailey played well, too. He registered a 62.4 PFF grade, the sixth-best on the team and the best of any defensive tackle. While the defense gave up 44 points in the loss, having Bailey fill the role as a run stopper and pass rusher helped give UT a fighting chance down the stretch.
Joshua Josephs, an edge rusher for Tennessee, isn’t necessarily surprised by Bailey’s ability to play both spots well, but he is impressed.
“Very impressive,” Josephs said. “Dom’s been a dude. He’s just showing it now, being able to make plays at either end or D-Tackle. That’s just him. That’s just Dom. He’s very impressive and I expect nothing less from Dom.”
Moi and Hobbs aren’t expected to be out for the rest of the year, and a return could come sooner or later for both guys. This weekend, UAB comes to town, which shouldn’t be much of a test. However, the weekend after, Tennessee heads to Mississippi State, which boasts an improved offense. This could be the game that both make their return, but there is currently no firm timeline for either guy.
When they do come back, it’s unclear what role Bailey will play. He could either stay on the interior and help with rotations there, or they could slide him back out to defensive end. If West, Weathersby and Dye continue to play well, the best option may be to stack up at defensive tackle, though.
