It's no secret that the Tennessee Vols' pass defense struggled at times last season. 

There were some good moments — who can forget the defensive dominance against LSU, Kentucky, and Clemson. And there were some not-so-good moments, such as the South Carolina game and the second half of the Florida game. 

Tennessee finished the 2022 season with the No. 127 pass defense in the nation. The only SEC programs that had a worse pass defense than the Vols last season were Vanderbilt and Arkansas.  

There are plenty of reasons for Tennessee's struggles in pass defense in 2022. The lack of consistent pressure from the Vols' front four didn't do the secondary any favors last season. Tennessee's up-tempo offense also doesn't make things easy on the defense. 

Ultimately, though, the Vols just need more talent and depth in their secondary — specifically at the cornerback position. 

And fortunately for UT football, it sounds like help is on the way in the form of a few true freshmen with loads of potential. 

Vols secondary coach Willie Martinez spoke to reporters on Tuesday and he had plenty of positive things to say about true freshmen cornerbacks Cristian Conyer, Rickey Gibson III, and Jordan Matthews. 

"I think they're obviously a lot more comfortable than they were in the spring," said Martinez when asked about the young trio. "By the fourth or fifth time that we have installs, you're seeing less and less alignment issues, you see a lot more execution on a consistent basis. They're competing at a different level because they know it more. It's good to see. You got some of the guys making plays. Consistently, all three of them are making something happen during the practice."

Vols redshirt senior cornerback Warren Burrell added to the praise for the three true freshmen cornerbacks on Tuesday, telling reporters that they arrived at Tennessee from high school "ready to play".

"These young guys came in ready to play," said Warren. "These guys, you can tell they love football. You can tell they appreciate the experience. They want to be better. They want to be the best that they can be. Those guys, Rickey, Jordan, Cristian, that's just the corners, but there is way more. Those guys who I'm going to speak to, they've been taking every day and growing, learning in every way possible. They've been trying to turn their weaknesses into strengths. They really just have been learning what it's like to be a DB at the University of Tennessee. The standard that we're trying to set, that we're trying to create here, those guys are doing nothing but pushing us forward, so we appreciate them."

Redshirt senior defensive back Gabe Jeudy-Lally, who transferred to Tennessee earlier this offseason after previously playing at Vanderbilt and BYU, also had plenty of great things to say about the Vols' young cornerbacks. 

"I think the guy that has made the biggest step from the spring is definitely Cristian Conyer," said Jeudy-Lally. "He has really honed in the last five months since spring ball and really taken over, getting to know the plays. He goes out there and makes plays every day. It's just been really cool to see, because coming from high school and trying to get it done in the spring was a little bit of a step. He's taken a really big jump. Rickey Gibson does a really good job, and Jordan Matthews is really physical. So, it's been good to see the whole group just evolve. I think we've taken a hundred steps in the right direction since the spring."

One big reason why the young guys are stepping up so quickly is because the older players are no longer spending their time learning the system and learning the coaches. The veterans who have been at Tennessee for the last two years under head coach Josh Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks can now spend more time "coaching" the young guys thanks to their knowledge of the system. 

"You're getting more players that have been here for those three years saying the things that we're saying to them when we're not around," explained Martinez this week. "It becomes tougher for us to get a word in at practice. I think you've been up here, and there's probably multiple coaches that have said it, we're not coaching the small things anymore. The players are doing it."

Bringing Tennessee "back" has always been a marathon and not a sprint for Heupel and his staff. The Vols have made some quick progress, but Tennessee is far from a finished product. And that should be exciting for fans considering the impressive progress that Tennessee's made under Heupel over the last two years. But this journey with Heupel is really just getting started for the Volunteers. 

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Featured image via Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports