3. Will there be a pass rush?
Tennessee is losing over 50 career sacks with the departures of Derek Barnett, LaTroy Lewis and Corey Vereen. That’s a lot of productivity to replace. There are a lot of options, however, for new defensive line coach Brady Hoke. The most intriguing is Jonathan Kongbo, who was forced to play at defensive tackle late in 2016 due to injuries at the position, but could play outside or inside going forward. He played arguably the best game of his career in the Music City Bowl win over Nebraska, and he’ll look to carry that momentum forward. Another intriguing option, Kyle Phillips, will miss the spring due to injury. But there are plenty of others – Darrell Taylor, Austin Smith, Deandre Johnson and Dimarya Mixon to name a few – who will get opportunities to show what they can do this spring.
