Defensive Line
Malik Brown (2013 class) – Bowling Green
2017 Season: 5 tackles, 1 TFL
Brown spent four years at Bowling Green and actually played against the Vols back in 2015 when the two teams squared off to start the season in Nashville. Brown had a decent 2015 year, totaling 13 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack, but that was the most production Bowling Green ever got out of him.
Dewayne Hendrix (2014 class) – Pittsburgh
2017 Season: 21 tackles, 5 TFLs, 3 sacks, fumble recovery
It’s hard to believe looking back on it now, but a lot of people were more excited about Dewayne Hendrix in the Vols’ 2014 class than they were Derek Barnett. Hendrix was one of a trio of Vols to transfer shortly after the 2014 season ended, and he ended up at Pittsburgh. Injuries kept him from contributing in 2016, but he put in a decent season in 2017 and was tied with three other Panthers for the third-most TFLs on the season. His three sacks were tied for third-most on the team as well.
Dimarya Mixon (2014 class) – SMU
2017 Season: 15 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 1 sack
When Mixon joined the Vols as a JUCO prospect, he was expected by fans to contribute a lot immediately. That never happened really, and he totaled just 19 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and a sack in his three seasons at Tennessee. He was a grad transfer after the 2016 season and went to SMU where he almost bested his entire production in three years at Tennessee in one season at SMU in just six games.
