Linebackers
Daniel: The absence of A.J. Johnson was very noticeable. Jakob Johnson, making his first career start, got exposed several times and didn’t have a huge impact on the game with just one solo tackle. Missouri regularly found room on the ground, finishing the night with a solid 180 yards rushing. Jalen Reeves-Maybin played a decent game with seven tackles and a TFL, though the Vols were asking a lot of him without A.J. Johnson on the field. Chris Weatherd got a few opportunities in pass-rush situations, but didn’t record any statistics. Grade: D+
Houston: Anyone who thought the Vols wouldn’t miss A.J. Johnson were given a supply of evidence to the contrary on Saturday night. Jakob Johnson finished the game with only one solo tackle and was routinely blocked backwards by receivers, offensive linemen and tight ends who were able to get to Johnson on the second level. Jalen Reeves-Maybin played well, but the missed tackles from this group really hurt because they often allowed Missouri to convert first downs and stay on the field. It was to be expected, but this group didn’t have their best night. Grade C
Reed: Jakob Johnson was given the unenviable task of taking A.J. Johnson’s spot and his youth showed. He failed to impact the game and was routinely blocked out of plays. Reeves-Maybin was more than solid, as usual, with 7 tackles (1 TFL). It’s been a while since this group generated any big, impact plays with consistency. Circumstances weren’t ideal, but that’s football. Tennessee needed better linebacker play. Grade: D+
Average Grade: D+
