Five ‘old heads’ who need to thrive for Tennessee this season
The Tennessee football team returns a nice of balance of veterans and youth as they prepare to kickoff the season Saturday in Nashville against Virginia.
Not all the “veterans” are returning in roles from a year ago and not all of them are the most experienced, but for Tennessee to reach the potential many have projected for them to have, then some of those veterans must stand up.
Here’s five “old heads” who need to step up in a big way for Tennessee this season:
Quarterback Joe Milton
I know everyone is tired of hearing questions about whether or not Joe Milton can do the job. The reality is that the 2023 version of Joe Milton is very different than the 2021 version. Milton has patiently waited as a pupil learning and helping Hendon Hooker. Now it’s his time. He’s had a really nice fall camp. He has to play well for Tennessee to have the year many are expecting. It’s a quarterback friendly offense, but at the same time there’s a lot on the quarterback to make this offense sing. When the quarterback is playing well, it’s an offense that gives defensive coordinators nightmares.
So it’s a given that the veteran Milton plays well in his final ride as a Vol.
Defensive Back Wesley Walker
Walker in limited action had a solid 2022 season. The transfer from Georgia Tech played in all 13 games last year with 2 starts at safety to close out the year after splitting time at safety and STAR earlier in the year. In his two starts at safety, Walker had 11 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and a pass breakup.
Walker was limited a good bit in fall camp with a nagging injury but returned the last week of the pre-season and should be ready for Saturday’s opener as one of Tennessee starting safeties. The Vols need more production across the board in the secondary if the defense is going to take the step they need to make the secondary play must improve. The safeties need to be more productive and Walker needs to lead that production.
Offensive Lineman Ollie Lane
Lane has been pressed into action at center with the injury to Cooper Mays and Lane’s performance in Mays’ absence is vital for this team. Lane has never played center in a college football game but in his career he has logged 590 snaps including five starts and has given up just two sacks. When Mays is back, Lane will slide back to guard where he will battle for a starting spot. Lane is a COVID senior who at one point last year was heading on to the next chapter in his life. Tennessee is fortunate Lane opted to return for one more season. Now they need him perform well as he’s thrust into the role at center.
Defensive Lineman Bryson Eason
Can the Memphis native finally put it all together? If you ask anyone, they will all tell you how talented Eason is. A high school linebacker who grew into a defensive end and now a defensive tackle, Eason has struggled with consistency. But when the 6-3, 310-pound redshirt junior flashes everyone knows it. In his last two games last year, Eason had 5.0 tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry. Eason finished the year with 18 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss including 1.5 sacks. But he also had eight games where he had one tackle or less.
Tennessee plays a lot of guys up front as Rodney Garner wants to rotate bodies. With the injury to Elijah Simmons that will have him out for the first part of the season, the rotation is one less which means Eason really needs to step up for the Vol defense.
Edge Rusher Roman Harrison
Harrison had a really solid 2022 season recording 39 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 7.0 tackles for loss and five quarterback hurries. Harrison benefited greatly from Byron Young being on the opposite side of him in the Vols pass rush “rabbits” package. Young is off to the NFL and Harrison now is the old man in a room full of unproven potential with James Pearce, Joshua Josephs, Caleb Herring, and Chandavian Bradley.
Tennessee’s focus this offseason has been largely about getting to the quarterback more with just a four man rush. If that’s going to happen than Harrison must build off his 2022 season and have the best season of his career this fall.
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