Tenn Truth
Fansided

5 Vols That Are Key To Tennessee’s Success In 2017

By Zach Ragan

GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Butch Jones of the Tennessee Volunteers cheers during a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Butch Jones of the Tennessee Volunteers cheers during a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 26, 2015 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
Tennessee Vols
NASHVILLE, TN – DECEMBER 30: Head coach Butch Jones of the University of Tennessee Volunteers reacts on the sideline during the second half of a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium on December 30, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

Jonathan Kongbo — Defensive End

Replacing defensive end Derek Barnett isn’t just difficult — it’s practically impossible.

Barnett is a once in a generation player. It could be a long time before we see another player with his abilities come through Knoxville.

Fortunately for the Vols, however, they have a talented player in Jonathan Kongbo that can help alleviate the pain of losing Barnett.

It’s not fair to expect Kongbo to pick up where Barnett left off……but he could come pretty close at least.

Butch Jones recently praised Kongbo, a redshirt junior, for his off-season work, telling ESPN “He’s having as good of an offseason as any individual that we’ve had. We’re excited. He’s going to be one of the key players for this football team”.

If Tennessee is going to be successful in 2017, they have to generate a solid pash rush. The Vols have a good defensive line returning, and they have good depth on the two-deep, but they need Kongbo to be the centerpiece.

The hope is that Kongbo will excel in 2017 and command double teams like Barnett did at UT. If that happens then Darrell Taylor, Kyle Phillips, and Deandre Johnson should have more one-on-one opportunities.

Losing Barnett obviously hurts, but the Volunteers’ defensive line is still in a good position to be one of the better defensive fronts in the SEC East.

Home/Tennessee Volunteers