The big secret about Tennessee in 2023 that no one in college football is talking about
The Tennessee Vols are one of the most talked about programs in college football thanks to their surprising 11-2 season in 2022 that included big wins against LSU, Alabama, and Clemson. Most of that talk centers around Tennessee's offense and whether or not the Vols can lead the nation in scoring again while competing for […]
The Tennessee Vols are one of the most talked about programs in college football thanks to their surprising 11-2 season in 2022 that included big wins against LSU, Alabama, and Clemson.
Most of that talk centers around Tennessee's offense and whether or not the Vols can lead the nation in scoring again while competing for an SEC East division crown.
There hasn't been much said about Tennessee's defense. And when the defense has been the subject of sports radio talk shows or college football preview columns, it's mostly been about whether or not the offense can score enough points to overcome the play of the defense, which was ranked No. 91 in total defense last season.
Sleeping on Tennessee's defense in 2023 is a bad idea
It feels like Tennessee's improved defense might be the biggest secret in college football.
Remember how the Vols' offense made a giant leap from 2021 to 2022?
Tennessee showed a lot of good things offensively in 2021, but there were still plenty of moments when things weren't clicking like they did in 2022. The Vols weren't great in short-yardage situations in 2021 and they had too many three-and-outs at times.
Josh Heupel and his staff made the proper corrections before the 2022 season and the Vols' offense came out firing on all cylinders. And they maintained that level of play all season (except for one rough afternoon in Athens).
What if the Vols' defense makes the same massive jump in 2023 that the offense made in 2022?
It's not that far fetched. In fact, I'm starting to think it's likely that Tennessee's defense will make that kind of jump.
The Vols showed some great things defensively last season. They were excellent in games against LSU, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Clemson.
And honestly, outside of games against Alabama and South Carolina, the second half of the Florida game, and the first half of the Missouri game, Tennessee's defense played really well for the most part.
Now, I don't think the Vols' defense is going to be better just because it's year three and they should be better.
There are legitimate signs coming from Tennessee's fall camp that the defense is ready to take a major step forward.
Senior pass rusher Tyler Baron, for example, sounds like a completely different player this fall. And it's because he's finally fully "bought in" to what the Vols are trying to do defensively.
"I feel like now I have a really good idea of what the coaches want for me, what I want for myself," said Baron at Tennessee's media day this week. "I think those two plans are perfectly aligned. So I'm all the way bought in. I'm just excited to give it my all and just be a team player."
Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks thinks Baron could be a massive part of the defense's success this fall.
"Tyler has always had the God-given talent," said Banks. "He's arguably one of our better players on our defense in general, not just up front. He's long and athletic….What does a successful season look like for him? I think it's him reaching his full potential on the field. That will help our defense. The goal is to play at a high level defensively, and he can be a big part of that."
For the Vols to be better on defense in 2023, they'll certainly need their pass rush to step up — which will in turn help out the secondary. Baron, an undeniably talented player, should play a big role in Tennessee's pass defense being better in Heupel's third season. Not just by his play on the field, but also by the way he's leading.
Baron (along with senior defensive lineman Omari Thomas) was pointed out by true freshman Chandavian Bradley this week as a player that's been a leader for the defense.
Speaking of Bradley, he's just one of numerous young pass rushers that could help make an impact for the Vols in 2023.
While an improved pass rush will help the secondary, it's also on the secondary to play better as a whole.
One thing that will help the secondary improve in 2023 is that senior defensive back Doneiko Slaughter, a player that was all over the secondary last season, has settled in at cornerback — which should lead to him being a more effective player for Tennessee's defense.
Playing exclusively at cornerback has Slaughter entering the 2023 season with his confidence at an all-time high.
Slaughter told reporters this week that he has "lots" of confidence heading into the new season. In fact, he said it's the most confident he's been since he arrived at Tennessee in 2020.
The underrated addition of BYU transfer cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally should also help the Vols' secondary play at a higher level in 2023.
While the pass rush and the secondary appear poised to be much improved, it's Tennessee's linebackers that could really be the star of the show this fall.
Redshirt senior linebackers Aaron Beasley and Keenan Pili, a BYU transfer who joined the program earlier this year, could be the best linebacker duo that Tennessee's had in over a decade. Beasley and Pili provide plenty of experience and they're already receiving rave reviews from Heupel.
"They're both athletic," said Heupel after Tennessee's first fall practice. "They both have the ability to play in space, and that's the nature of the game right now. Depending on which way they're splitting out, those guys having to defend in space. They're both physical on contact. And I think they have really good eye discipline, which allows them to see something and pull the trigger. Both of those guys are hyper-aggressive, and they're really intentional in the way that they work. They affect their guys on the defense and in the linebacker room in a really positive way, too."
Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks offered his own endorsement of Beasley this week while talking with reporters, suggesting that the Georgia native is a high-impact SEC linebacker.
"He's really worked his tail off every year to put himself in a position to not only be a consistent linebacker, but to be a high-impact linebacker in this league," said Banks before Tennessee's first fall practice.
Beasley is setting a clear tone for the defense this season — attack and be aggresive — which makes him the perfect on-field leader for Tennessee's defense.
"We want to attack," said Beasley. "We want to play fast. We want to play in the backfield a lot. We want to make plays and attack for sure."
Tennessee's defense has a lot to prove. But there are signs that UT's defense is ready to make the same jump that the offense made last season. If that's how it transpires this fall, then the Vols' goal of winning the SEC East and competing for a national championship could very much become a reality.
Former Titans DB comes to the defense of former Vols WR Jalin Hyatt
A former Titans defensive back came to the defense of former Tennessee Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
