Tennessee Football: 5 Things to look forward to on Saturday

#3: How the Vols defense will fare

Another question mark that the Volunteers have coming into this game is the defense. The Volunteers are switching from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense. The Volunteers will now have a four-linebacker set, as Johnathon Kongbo moved to the JACK position, meaning he will be a hybrid that could line down as a defensive end or can line up as a linebacker.

It will be very interesting to see how the Volunteers defense will hold up against Grier and the playmakers he has around him. It’s a good test for Tennessee, especially since it’s the first game of the year.

The Volunteers will have a true freshman starting at the cornerback spot, whether that be Alontae Taylor or Bryce Thompson. Both guys were recruited here to make big plays and either one of them have that opportunity this Saturday against one of the best quarterbacks in the nation.

The safety position will hopefully be one of the Volunteers strong points this season. Both Nigel Warrior and Micah Abernathy have a lot of experience, so hopefully, that will pay off this Saturday against Grier. If the Volunteers want to win, their defense has to show up and make some big stops.

If the Volunteers make some stops and force a few turnovers, they will have a great chance to start the year off with a win against a ranked team.