There understandably hasn’t been a lot of talk about the limited positives that came out of Tennessee football’s deflating 33-27 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. However, possibly the biggest bright spot was a breakout game for sophomore safety Edrees Farooq.
In his first year as the full-time starter, Farooq has put together a strong season, but has been up and down at times. The week after his pick-six against Kentucky, he put together his best game yet in college, though. He led the team in tackles with 10, including six solo efforts in the loss to the Sooners. He also forced two fumbles and jumped on one of them for a timely turnover.
It’s not just the counting stats, either, although his tackle mark was a career high. PFF also supports the case for it being his best game yet. He was given an 87.7 mark, by far his best on the season. With the Vols’ struggles of tackling and stopping the run this year, his play in that area was huge, too. He earned a 91.9 grade in run defense and 69.3 in tackling.
In coverage, Farooq was listed with a 79.0 grade. As a pass rusher, he got a 59.7 grade in two attempts.
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On the season, Farooq has posted 55 tackles, including 27 solo efforts. He’s defended two passes, forced three fumbles and owns the pick-six against Kentucky on a ball he tipped up to himself on the pass rush.
On PFF, he has a season grade of 73.8 through nine games. His best mark is as a pass rusher at 91.3 and in coverage at 71.0. The year prior, his season grade was at 65.2 as a true freshman. He was a three-star prospect, according to 247, and the No. 71 safety in the class.
If Farooq can continue to play at this level, it could go a long way for this defense. The Vols have three games left, including a road clash with Florida and home bout with Vanderbilt. They’ll need strong defense at all three levels in both of these games.
As far as next year, Andre Turrentine will be out of eligibility. With other pieces of the secondary also likely departing for a multitude of reasons, it could mean Farooq is quickly one of the more experienced guys in the room. Having a reliable safety is certainly an advantage with a group that could feature a good bit of newcomers and youth.
