Tennessee Vols DC Tim Banks names the defense's biggest strength in 2023 and it's exciting
Tennessee Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks was asked about his defense's biggest strength entering the 2023 season and his answer was very exciting if you're a UT football fan. Banks told reporters on Friday that he feels like Tennessee's depth is the defense's biggest strength this fall. "I think the depth," said Banks when asked […]
Tennessee Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks was asked about his defense's biggest strength entering the 2023 season and his answer was very exciting if you're a UT football fan.
Banks told reporters on Friday that he feels like Tennessee's depth is the defense's biggest strength this fall.
"I think the depth," said Banks when asked about the defense's strength. "I feel like we got a lot of guys that have played some football around here. And we got a good blend of young guys, you know, some of the early enrollees and some of the guys that were freshmen last year, who played a small role, we expect those guys to play a larger role this season. I think if you would say 'what is our strength right now going into our first game?', I would just say our depth. We feel really good that we should be able to rotate a lot of guys and give a lot of guys opportunities that they've earned in camp and it's exciting to be quite honest with you. It's exciting to know that you can roll different guys out there and try to keep those guys as fresh as we possibly can."
"We just feel like we have more guys that are able to compete and challenge each other and help each other get better," added Banks.
The Vols didn't quite have the depth necessary to truly compete with Georgia the last few years. And while the Bulldogs' still have more depth (Kirby Smart's had a five year head start on acquiring talent over Josh Heupel), Tennessee isn't quite as far behind as they were a year ago.
That's not say that Tennessee is going to take down Georgia this season — that game is going to be a battle — but it's certainly not as far fetched as some Bulldogs fans like to think it is.
Tennessee's depth along the defensive line and at linebacker, specifically, should show up in a big way this fall — especially in games against elite opponents like Georgia.
Tennessee has a future defensive superstar on its roster and he’ll soon be a household name
The Tennessee Vols have a future defensive superstar on their roster and he’ll soon be a household name
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
