Jordan Allen, 6-4, 240 - A high school receiver and defensive back who then enrolled and redshirted with UC Davis before spending a year at City College of San Francisco where he played defensive end. Now he's at Tennessee where he will be playing the Jack position, a hybrid outside linebacker/defensive end role, or the Sam, a strongside linebacker that is also asked to support in pass rushing when in a 3-4 front. In his first season as a defensive end, he had 27 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, solidifying himself as one of the top JUCO players in the 2018 cycle. His first spring on campus didn't necessarily see him stake his claim on a starting job, but he did seem to at least find a spot in the rotation, although the competition for playing time might be growing a bit. Allen doesn't need to be a starter in the first of his three seasons on campus given the transition he's made in a couple short years.
Deandre Johnson, 6-4, 272 - So, I did include Johnson at defensive end, but considering one spot is a hybrid defensive end and outside linebacker and Johnson spent the spring at that Jack position it only makes sense to include him in this article as well. Bear in mind that the 272 prediction for his weight is based on the idea that they would use him as a 3-4 end, but if they use him in this stand-up role, I think they may work to keep him in the 255-260 range. He is an athletic defensive lineman who may well be able to transition outside linebacker, but some of how he'll be used again falls to who plays nose guard, who plays defensive end, and what the needs are at outside linebacker, so all of this is a bit of projection, hence guys who show up more than once. Johnson seemed to perform alright at Jack this spring so it's certainly not outside of the realm of possibility that he'll stick in this role.
Jonathan Kongbo, 6-6, 277 - Kongbo arrived in Knoxville as the #1 overall JUCO player in the class of 2016, and the expectations were correspondingly high, so his production through two seasons has overall been a disappointment for fans. Has he been a bad player? No, but when you come in with that level of expectation being a passable starter just isn't really enough to live up to the hype. Now, I talked about him at defensive end, but now outside linebacker has also been put on the table for him and there could be some upside at giving him a chance to rush the passer with a bit more space and out of a two point stance. Again, keeping him slimmed down might be part of the challenge to move him to such a role, but this is at least worth keeping an eye on as the staff looks to maximize the potential and production of each player on the roster.
JJ Peterson, 6-3, 235 - Peterson can play any of the four linebacker spots, but his clearest path to a potential starting job might be at an outside linebacker spot. First, he needs to get on campus, but he's eyeballing enrolling in July and of the players who might not have made it in for the first summer session, Peterson was probably the one the staff might feel most comfortable with it due to his physical development already. Peterson is a very active linebacker who attacks well but can also drop back into coverage when the situation calls for it. He is fast enough that he returned kickoffs in high school, even returning one for a touchdown as a junior, taking it 98 yards to the house. He also played a bit of receiver as well, then on defense he had 210 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, 40 quarterback hurries, 2 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, and a couple of forced fumbles in three years, so he can play just a bit. His biggest challenge at this point is going to be making the jump from high school to the SEC. Other than that, he looks the part of an immediate impact player.
Austin Smith, 6-3, 241 - The promise he showed as a freshman hasn't yet materialized again since that time due to injuries, but when he's healthy Smith has the size, skill set, and knowledge from his high school years operating within a 3-4 defense. He is the ideal fit for outside linebacker in the new scheme, but his health is his biggest challenge to be overcome. If he can put his injuries behind him, there's a great opportunity for him. Ultimately, he fits the mold, but he's going to stand as an unknown commodity for now and likely is at best a rotational piece for the coming season.
Darrell Taylor, 6-4, 256 - Along with Kongbo, Taylor was one of the Vols starting defensive ends for much of last season, but now he has moved to linebacker, a position he played in high school in spots in addition to his primary work at defensive end. Also a high school wide receiver, he has athleticism to spare, and just for good measure he also played basketball, so endurance isn't much of a concern either. His biggest thing upon arriving on campus was the need for a redshirt year to add weight. He hasn't made a huge mark yet, but he had a solid redshirt sophomore campaign last year. This might be the ideal defensive scheme for Taylor, who can make use of his athleticism better from a two point stance.
Ryan Thaxton, 6-4, 245 - Another former two sport high school guy, Thaxton also played football and basketball. He's not the blazing fast but he's certainly athletic enough to play in this scheme, and he might be a bit more of a natural to play in a two point stance as he is inclined to play with his pad level too high at times. He's been noted as an intelligent player and should adapt well, even though he probably isn't going to be one of the top two options at any of the linebacker spots this season, but that has more to do with his continued physical development as he came in on the skinny side out of high school. He showed good recognition skills and the ability to go out and make plays in the open field in high school, so even if he's never a starter in Knoxville, he looks like a contributor on defense perhaps as early as 2019.
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