When Kansas defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry entered the transfer portal, Tennessee already knew they would go after another player to help their needs up front. On Sunday, Terry committed to the Vols and instantly made the defensive line deeper and much more aggressive.
Hailing from Meridian, Mississippi, Da’Jon committed to Kansas in 2019, after Les Miles took over as head coach. He redshirted his first year in Lawrence, playing in only two games, while he worked on his upper body strength and shedding some of his weight.
GBO🍊🍊🍊 pic.twitter.com/kaF4ZZhMNq
— Da'Jon Terry (@DaJonTerry1) May 10, 2021
Looked upon as one of the most important players for Kansas, as they prepared for the 2021 season, the former 2-star recruit made a huge impression during the 2020 season. Terry started two games and played in eight as a redshirt freshman for the Jayhawks last season, recording 14 tackles and 2 sacks. Turns out, he became such a huge contributor for his group, the Jayhawks were looking for him to be a leader on the defensive line in 2021
One of the interesting things about Terry is that only started playing football during his senior year of high school. When he joined the Jayhawks, he told reporters he weighed over 370 pounds, but worked his tail off to get down to 310 pounds before the 2020 season. If you watch the tape on him, you’ll definitely see how this paid off, as he was hard to handle for opposing offensive linemen.
According to a former coach I spoke with at South Alabama, who recruited him out of high school, Tennessee is getting a young man who’s just starting to figure out how strong and aggressive he can be on the line of scrimmage. As the coach mentioned to me, “He would’ve transformed our whole defensive line if we could’ve grabbed him. He’s still so raw that the coaches will be able to continue building his game and not have to erase any bad technique”.
The Vols are getting a gritty defensive lineman, who is still learning the game. So having Rodney Garner continuing to mold him, will only strengthen his game and payoff for Tennessee’s defense. Terry will have three years of eligibility, another bonus for the Vols.
Tennessee continues to work the transfer portal, which they hope will pay dividends in 2021 and beyond.
2 Responses
One big boy and hopefully he has the will and heart to become a Hugh factor for improvement of the defense. If he develops the work ethic and develops himself both mentally and physically he will not only become a Hugh asset to the team but open the door to a luctrative financial future as a man among men in the NFL.
I think he actually has 4 years of eligibility left. He redshirted 2019 and 2020 doesn’t count.