Vols Football: Who Emerges At Middle Linebacker?
The Vols are seeking their 2015 starters at linebacker. Who will that be?
We are three Saturdays from the official start of college football season and the Tennessee Vols have yet to figure out who will replace A.J Johnson at middle linebacker – arguably the biggest vacancy to fill this offseason. The Vols have conducted 13 practices in fall camp and the word still seems to be that the job is still totally up for grabs.
The group competing to fill the role includes redshirt junior Kenny Bynum (who started the TaxSlayer Bowl in January), sophomore Colton Jumper, redshirt freshman Gavin Bryant, redshirt freshman Dillon Bates, and true freshman Darrin Kirkland Jr. With Jakob Johnson recently transitioning to TE he is no longer on this list. The group of Bynum, Jumper, Bryant, Bates, and Kirkland Jr. have a combined 16 career games played with 15 of those between Bynum and Bates.
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With the September 5th opener vs. Bowling Green looming it’s time to single out a few who will earn significant playing time this year:
RS Junior Kenny Bynum: Given that Bynum is the eldest of the group and started the Vols last game of 2014, he has the leg up to play the first snap of 2015. At the end of last season Bynum weighed about 250 pounds, and at 6’1, that is the kind of stocky build you would want in a “Mike” linebacker. Not so fast. Over the offseason, Bynum has gotten more athletic and shown leadership by shedding 20 pounds and getting down to 230. With the proliferation of spread offenses, Bynum wanted to be more agile and capable of being a sideline-to-sideline player, something that defensive coordinator John Jancek has stated he wants in his starting middle linebacker. With his steady progression, dedication to improvement, trimmed down frame, and leadership of the younger guys, Bynum looks to be the starter going into the year. He may not be the explosive, hard-hitter you crave, but he knows what he is doing. Hard to argue against that.
RS Freshman Dillon Bates: I really like Dillon Bates. He was a highly-rated linebacker coming out of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL in the 2014 class but unfortunately suffered a season-ending shoulder injury (torn labrum) in September of last year so we didn’t get to see much live action. Prior to the injury he was (and still is) beloved by the coaching staff because of his size, smarts, and athleticism. In January, he was granted a medical redshirt and still has 4 years of eligibility remaining. After spending his true freshman season as a “Will” linebacker the coaching staff asked him to beef up due to the need to fill the “Mike” vacancy. At 6’3, 230 pounds he sure does fit the mold of a starting middle linebacker in the SEC. A healthy Bates will push Bynum for the starting role. Regardless, I see him having a bounce-back campaign and he will see plenty of action. The coaching staff obviously had the confidence to move him to middle linebacker and he has all the tools necessary to succeed there. He has been limited in some practices this year and that could be a sign of the injury still lingering. Keep an eye on No. 17 this year.
True Freshman Darrin Kirkland Jr.: A highly-touted linebacker from Indianapolis, IN from the 2015 class, Kirkland was made to be in the middle. Standing 6’2, 230 pounds he has the physical attributes that you look for. An early-enrollee in January, his audition wasn’t able to get off the ground in the spring due to a torn pectoral muscle suffered during workouts but he has been healthy during fall camp and looks to see the field this year. Compared to Bates and Bynum, Kirkland may have the most physically imposing frame and appears to be that big, bruising second-level run stuffer that can also cover. That type of versatility gives him a good chance of getting some reps in the middle this fall. Ryan Callahan of 247 Sports reported that Kirkland has shined in the race for the competition at linebacker. Outside of that, he should have a significant impact on the special teams unit and rack up a fair amount of tackles. Even though he missed spring ball, it was invaluable for him to learn from the guys listed above as well as All-SEC linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who is well-versed in all three linebacker positions in the Vols scheme. Darrin Kirkland Jr. is an exciting prospect and it will be fun to see his progress in his first year on Rocky Top.
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That leaves Colton Jumper and Gavin Bryant the odd men out, but doesn’t mean they won’t still have an impact. The larger the group competing, the better, as it provides for healthy competition amongst the position unit. Between the two of them, Jumper appears to have the edge and could make a surprise push for early snaps.
It is also important to note that this prediction is based off of the Vols 4-3 base defense. With the SEC having a lot of spread attacks, Tennessee will be relying on the nickel (4-2-5) package a lot this year. Curt Maggitt, a capable linebacker, looks to come off the edge more as a defensive end this year which leaves an open linebacker spot in the nickel package next to Jalen Reeves-Maybin in certain situations.
There will be a solid rotation going on in the linebacking core this year for Tennessee football, but you are always looking for those to separate themselves from the pack. We’ll see what happens.