Bryce Thompson and Alontae Taylor are also both strong candidates to play on the defensive side of the football, but in order to get through this article a bit quicker I'll refer you back to the wide receiver article where I profiled them previously.
Micah Abernathy, 6-0, 208 - Abernathy is a player who pretty quickly found a role on the roster, registering 9 tackles and 69 kickoff return yards as a reserve nickel and up back on kickoffs, but it was as a sophomore that he really began to emerge. Over the last two seasons he's played in 24 games and started 22 at safety. He had a big impact in 2016 with 69 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions as well as maintaining his special teams role. He remained as a starting safety last year, but he took a step backward even though his overall tackles grew, recording 81 tackles with 1 tackle for loss, 2 passes defended, and a fumble recovery. He looked a step slower as a junior and appeared lost in coverage at times. Even so, he is one of the most experienced options at safety and he will maintain a role in the secondary as part of the rotation, but with the return of Todd Kelly Jr. and Nigel Warrior, he could have a battle on his hands to start again.
Terrell Bailey, 5-11, 183 - Bailey is one of the most complete corners on the roster, but he also doesn't stand out in any specific way. He's a steady option at the corner position. He's not the biggest. He's not the fastest. He's not the strongest. He's just a solid overall corner with solid technique. Unfortunately, that lack of an area of excellence also means that he doesn't really pop on the field and it seems he may be a bit buried in the depth chart. Of course, at this point steady might be needed before the season ends, depending on how things shake out at corner. Bailey could be an interesting name to keep an eye on as fall camp and the early season progresses.
Baylen Buchanan, 5-11, 188 - As a true freshman, Buchanan emerged as one of the most promising young corners on the roster, but he took a step back as a sophomore. This spring, he was one of the best on the roster and gave himself an inside track on a starting job. The son of former standout at Louisville and in the NFL, Ray Buchanan, football runs through Buchanan's veins. He shows flashes of the type of aggression and physicality that helped Cam Sutton become a third round selection of the Pittsburgh Steelers, so if he can refine his technique and maintain focus he could certainly become a major contributor under the new staff.
Brandon Davis, 5-11, 170 - Brandon Davis is joining the Vols as a blueshirt after a very good career in high school playing both football and baseball. Davis will be playing baseball with the Vols as well as football, but I won't dive to deep into the baseball side of things. On the football field, he had 86 tackles, a tackle for loss, 37 passes defended, 13 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 4 defensive touchdowns in three seasons. In other words, he's a little good in coverage, or at least was in high school in Louisiana. Davis joins the Vols at a position of need and if he can reshape his body and adapt to the college game quickly enough he could be an impact player quickly.
Carlin Fils-aime, 5-11, 186 - If you weren't following closely this spring, this might be a name that you're surprised to see on this side of the football, but heading into spring practices the coaches decided they needed to take a look at their options on the defensive side of the ball to bolster the corner position. That prompted Fils-aime to move from running back to corner, and he quickly started to make some noise on that side of the football even though he was completely new to playing in the secondary. He absorbed coaching like a sponge and since he didn't have any bad habits he was able to start from scratch. His athleticism wasn't really in doubt after leading the Vols in yards per carry last season at 6.9. It's hard to say whether or not he'll make a run at significant playing time this season, but if he continues what he did this spring he could very well make some noise before his career is done.
Trevon Flowers, 6-1, 188 - Remember me talking about Brandon Davis and his baseball prowess in addition to football talent? Same thing here. Flowers actually took a three year break from football to focus on baseball, but he returned to the football field as a senior and became a fairly fast rising recruit, sporting offers from Clemson and Kentucky despite concerns that he would be an MLB draft selection. The draft came and went with Flowers enrolled at Tennessee and focused on his collegiate career. Long and athletic, Flowers is probably capable of playing corner, nickel/star, or free safety, but how quickly he'll be able to contribute will depend on how quickly he adapts to the college game and refreshes his football acumen.
Kenneth George Jr., 6-0, 200 - This is a very interesting young man because his journey to joining an SEC roster has been a long one to say the least. After finishing high school, he stood at 5-7 and under 150 pounds. He moved to Texas, lived in the gym, hit a growth spurt, and tried out for several JUCO teams before landing at Trinity Valley CC. Now, a long and strong corner who is coming off of a redshirt freshman season in which he registered 27 tackles, 8 passes broken up, and 2 interceptions in his first meaningful season of football after being relegated to mostly special teams in high school. Joining the Vols as a redshirt sophomore, he will have three years left to play and more than most he fits the mold of what the new staff is looking for in a corner. He's still on the raw side, but with his work ethic I wouldn't bet against seeing him on the field this season.
Maleik Gray, 6-2, 194 - A high school linebacker. A freshman safety. Now a sophomore corner? For his sake, I hope Gray is done changing positions so he can settle in and learn a specific job. Gray is long and strong, and his speed is every bit as quick as you need in a corner (4.44 timed forty). As the roster got thin last season, his redshirt was burned to fill holes, playing in two games. He is every bit as athletic as one could hope for and since he also played receiver in high school he has knowledge of what the receivers might do. All that said, he has a lot to learn to be anything more than an athlete trying to play corner. If he can catch up quickly, there are certainly opportunities in the secondary. Even if he doesn't, hopefully the staff decides this is a permanent move so that he can learn a specific job and develop into that particular role.
Theo Jackson, 6-2, 185 - Vol fans no doubt remember the long, skinny kid named Rashaan Gaulden who developed into a third round safety selection of the Carolina Panthers. Why bring him up? Jackson is very similar to Gaulden. As a freshman, Gaulden was too good to keep off the field, playing in 11 games with seven tackles. As a freshman, Jackson was too good to keep off the field, playing in 11 games with eight tackles, but I'm betting against Jackson suffering the injury that cost Gaulden his true sophomore season. Like Gaulden, Jackson showed up under 180 as a safety and had a lot of developing to do physically, but the skill set was there from the beginning. Jackson emerged as a very viable starting safety option this spring, but with Todd Kelly returning as a redshirt senior with his degree in hand, competition for the job will be fierce. Don't bet against the skinny kid though. All he does is ball out.
Todd Kelly Jr., 5-11, 202 - I don't know about anyone else, but I'm going to forget last season happened for a lot of guys because they all fell into a hole of a lost season. Kelly is definitely one of those guys, so let's talk about what he did in his first three seasons in Knoxville. 150 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a sack, 14 passes defended, 8 interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery despite only starting 16 of 38 games played. He's a pure safety, capable of playing the run or playing the pass with equal willingness and aplomb. So how does he fit now? Well, that's interesting because the new staff uses the "Star" nickel, essentially a safety. That could mean that Kelly, Warrior, and probably Jackson are all on the field at the same time. Warrior has been rumored to play the Star position, but Kelly could be a viable option there as well. Regardless of who fits where, expect all three to see the field plenty.
Cheyenne Labruzza, 6-0, 191 - Labruzza came in initially as a highly sought after cornerback recruit, but before the season began it was decided he could best help the team out by moving to safety. He played in four games, but didn't register any stats. He could likely still play corner, but he has the type of size that the staff likes in their safeties and the Star/nickel role. Labruzza has a nose for the football and plays with toughness and aggression, which prompted schools to target him hard late in the process, so holding onto him was a strong move by the Vols. He could find an expanded role this season, both on special teams and on defense.
Marquill Osborne, 5-11, 187 - Osborne was highly regarded when the Vols brought him in, but he's seen minimal playing time so far, recording 11 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and a sack over two seasons. He also had 4 kickoff returns for 79 yards. Like Buchanan, he left spring as a presumptive starter, but he'll be facing a challenge in fall camp for the job. Osborne has speed and he has decent length, so with improved coaching he should be able to build on his career stats for sure, but whether or not he can hold down a starting job will be determined by his ability to hold off younger players.
Shawn Shamburger, 6-0, 194 - Shamburger looks the part of a cornerback that Pruitt would pursue with his size and aggression. He's long and he's a natural cornerback, but he got thrown to the wolves a bit last season out of necessity, playing in 11 games with one start. Of course, that start came against eventual national champ Alabama. In that game, he had 12 tackles and a sack while being picked on by the Tide. Even so, Shamburger has undeniable talent and as long as he continues to progress he should see plenty of playing time.
Nigel Warrior, 6-0, 199 - If there is an All-American in the Vols secondary this coming season, Nigel Warrior is that man. Last season, he had 83 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, a sack, 4 passes broken up, 3 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, a blocked kick, and an interception return for a touchdown. Now, he's heading into his junior year, bigger, stronger, and with his instincts only getting better. Warrior can really play any of the safety spots or even the Star position. He certainly had an argument for being an All-SEC selection on last season's post-season awards lists. He was easily the defensive MVP, and honestly a case could be made for him to be the MVP of the team. I fully expect him to be even better next season, and he's the only guy in the secondary guaranteed to start.
