Tennessee Vols player that's flying under the radar but could be extremely important in 2022
The Tennessee Vols' biggest issue in 2022 will be the same issue that the team faced in 2021. A severe lack of depth. Schematically, the Vols are an elite program. Josh Heupel's offense works against any program in the nation (that was proven last season against Alabama and Georgia). And the aggressive defensive scheme under […]
The Tennessee Vols' biggest issue in 2022 will be the same issue that the team faced in 2021.
A severe lack of depth.
Schematically, the Vols are an elite program. Josh Heupel's offense works against any program in the nation (that was proven last season against Alabama and Georgia). And the aggressive defensive scheme under Tim Banks is solid as well.
The Vols just need players — both quality and quantity.
Tennessee's up-tempo approach requires a lot of fresh bodies on both sides of the ball. And right now, they just don't have those bodies. That's especially true on defense, where the Vols are thin at several positions.
UT specifically needs some help at linebacker and in the secondary.
Fortunately for the Vols, there's a linebacker on the roster that I think most folks have forgotten about that could end up being a major contributor in 2022.
Juwan Mitchell transferred to Tennessee from Texas before the 2021 season.
The New Jersey native led the Longhorns in tackles in 2020, but he failed to make an impact for the Vols last season. That was mostly due to injuries. Mitchell had shoulder surgery in October, which forced him to miss the rest of the 2021 season.
The former three-star recruit, who was rated as the No. 6 inside linebacker in the 2019 recruiting class, started the first two games of the season for Tennessee in 2021.
After the season, there was a general feeling that Mitchell wouldn't return to UT in 2022. There was some thought that maybe he wasn't a good fit with the Vols. His return, however, seems to suggest that he's bought into Tennessee's philosophy under Heupel and Banks.
Mitchell is currently limited in spring practice while he recovers from his shoulder surgery. But assuming he's a full go this fall — and that certainly should be the case — this is a player that could provide valuable depth and experience at the linebacker position for the Vols this upcoming season. If he can stay healthy, Mitchell could compete with Jeremy Banks for the team lead in tackles in 2022.
Featured image via Tennessee Athletic Communications
