Linebacker
OLB: Darrell Taylor, Jordan Allen
OLB: Jonathan Kongbo, Austin Smith/Deandre Johnson
ILB: Daniel Bituli, Darrin Kirkland Jr.
ILB: Quart’e Sapp, Will Ignont
Tennessee has a fairly set starting four at linebacker in their 3-4 base package, but the depth in this unit is where the questions begin to come up. Especially since J.J. Peterson missed all of the summer and fall camp.
Darrell Taylor and Jonathan Kongbo appear to be the top two outside linebackers while Daniel Bituli and Quart’e Sapp have consistently been the one and two at the inside linebacker spots. Darrin Kirkland Jr. has been eased back into action this fall, and even after missing time and being held out sporadically, he looks like the next option at inside linebacker behind Bituli and Sapp. Will Ignont will likely be the next man up after Kirkland.
On the outside, Jordan Allen has shown flashes of great potential in fall camp, but consistency has been his biggest issue. That’s why he’ll probably start out on the bench but should see plenty of rotational work. Austin Smith and Deandre Johnson have had good practices and bad, but neither have really separated themselves from the other from what I’ve been able to see.
Shanon Reid and Dillon Bates will be next in line at inside linebacker, and Bates could fill in on the outside as well. Kivon Bennett has been practicing at outside linebacker the last week, but it remains to be seen if he’ll stay there throughout the season or go back to the defensive line.
