ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis is particularly bullish on one aspect of the Vols’ defense.
While breaking down the performances of Tennessee and Texas on Tuesday’s College GameDay Podcast episode, Davis praised Tennessee’s defensive front when categorizing the Vols with some of the top dogs in the sport.
“Tennessee and Nico Iamaleava, they’re crazy about Nico and he is a fine, fine prospect and excellent quarterback,” Davis said on the show. “Growing and has room for growth. And Tennessee needs some growth out of that offense and out of the receivers making plays down the field. That’s not why Tennessee might be in that group with Texas and Georgia, and probably Ohio State. It’s the fact that they’re rolling about a dozen dudes through the defensive front. All of whom aren’t just big, wide bodies. They are rear-end-kicking, trouble-making, havoc causers up front.”
Tennessee’s defensive unit has been the story of the Vols’ season through the first two games without an opposing offensive touchdown so far. But it’s Tennessee’s defensive line and the pressure in the trenches that separates the Vols from just playing well to a legitimate defense.
Stacked with veteran, experienced players along with talented high-ranking prospects from the trail, Tennessee boasts a front line that can impact a game for all four quarters. James Pearce Jr. is the standout prospect as Tennessee’s EDGE rusher, but don’t discredit the impressive work of Omari Thomas, Bryson Eason, Omarr Norman-Lott, Joshua Josephs, and Tyre West, as well. Tennessee’s line has been able to work in sync and with power through their first eight quarters of action.
Davis mentioned that while Iamaleava is going to be a superstar in the league, it’s not the quarterback of the Vols’ offense that has him bullish on Tennessee’s chances to compete with the top tier this season – it’s the fact that Tennessee has a defensive line and the defensive line can travel.
“As weird as this is going to sound, I need to see a little more development out of Nico and I need to see a little more from the wide receivers,” Davis said. “Everyone’s all crazy about Nico, and they should be. He’s going to be super and is getting there quickly. But the reason I’m in on the Vols, now, is that defensive front because defensive fronts tend to travel. And you know what? In Tennessee’s case, if three of four of them didn’t travel so well, eh, we’ll just run the next ones in! They’re good, too.”
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With the Vols’ lone neutral site matchup off the table, Tennessee has four true road games left this season. The Vols head to Norman, OK, to take on Oklahoma on Sept. 21, followed by a bye week and a trip to Fayetteville, AR, for a matchup with the Razorbacks on Oct. 5. After a long home stretch throughout October and November, Tennessee goes on the road to play Georgia on Nov. 16 before closing out the regular season in Nashville against Vanderbilt on Nov. 30.
Tennessee has big road opportunities on the table, starting with that game against Oklahoma in less than two weeks.
“That’s as strong a front – that’s what we should have seen from Florida State, Pete,” Davis said to co-host Pete Thamel. “All your scout buddies that are talking about Florida State, have them go to Knoxville. That’s where they’re going to find some dudes. They’re going to find some dudes in Knoxville up front.”
Check out the full clip from the College GameDay Podcast below:
