Through self-reflection and hard work, Joshua Josephs is poised for breakout season  

Edge rusher Joshua Josephs had a solid start to his collegiate career. He acted as the third-option at the ‘LEO’ position for Tennessee in 2022, the dynamic pass-rushing slot on the defensive line. Behind NFL talent Byron Young and veteran Roman Harrison, the former four-star registered 12 stops, a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss while appearing in all 12 games his rookie season.

The stats rose as a sophomore in 2023, but his role stayed the same. Despite generating three sacks, 20 tackles and 4.5 TFLs in 12 games, Josephs was still the third-option in the scheme. Why? Well, James Pearce broke out in a monster way with double-digit sacks, leaping his fellow sophomore on the depth chart and consuming much of his playing time.

“Honestly, I feel like last year there was a little jealousy in me,” the 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender admitted. “I could see my boy James [Pearce] – he was turning up. It just felt like I wasn’t playing like I wanted to play like.”

So, what changed? Why is 2024, his junior season, poised to be different? Josephs made a choice to block the outside noise and focus on himself.      

“Instead of worrying about the next man, you got to worry about yourself. Focus on yourself. Strive for yourself,” the junior preached. “Not to impress other people. Not to have a good face. For yourself. Do everything for yourself. Do it for God. God has blessed me with this opportunity.

“So, that’s where my focus has been. Just been on me and my love for Christ. Just striving and taking that next step.”

In doing so, Josephs has packed on some really good weight. He’s been a freak in the weight room and had the team’s nutritionist [Ethan Bauer] on speed dial. The pass-rusher has had as good of an off-season as anyone in the program and is balling out thus far into fall camp.

“I focused on maintaining my weight and strength, because last year I didn’t play at a weight that I wanted to play at,” Josephs said. “Throughout practice, I’m averaging like 242 [pounds] or 245, around there. Just maintaining my weight and staying on top of that allows me to play stronger and more physically.

“I feel a big difference. I don’t know if it is my weight in general, but I’m definitely stronger.”

The third-year player has also taken coaching in stride. He understands his self-scout and what he needed to improve on from one year to the next. It’s not a finished product by any stretch of the imagine – and position coach Rodney Garner would be the first to say it – but the hard work was put in and Josephs is ready for the reward.

“Josh is closer now to what he was when he first got here. Where last year, he sort of took a dip and, I guess, went into that sophomore lull,” Garner told the media on Wednesday. “Where now, he’s coming back more energized, more focused (with) more attention to detail. I think he’s put on some really good weight. I think he’s improved his play strength. I think he’s improved his power and his explosiveness. So, I’m excited about this Joshua Josephs that’s here right now, I really am.”

And make no mistake about it. There might have been some jealousy there – that’s to be human – but Josephs and Pearce have an outstanding relationship. They roomed together as freshmen and have been on this Tennessee journey together, step by step.

“That’s my brother,” Josephs reiterated. “This is our third year going into it. He’s an elite player. He’s an elite guy. We teach each other stuff in the film room and on the field. We are backing each other. That’s my guy. I got mad respect for him.”

Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Pearce was probably a little jealous of Josephs as freshmen in 2023. He got to work and is now one of the top NFL Draft prospects entering the season. Who knows what the ceiling is for the latter this go-around, but one thing is clear, they are making each other better.

And the buy-in from Josephs deserves some praise.

“Confidence is through the roof,” the defensive end concluded. “I feel like you can tell by the way I am playing right now. Just the way I look on film, honestly.”

Josephs has logged 440 defensive snaps over two years with Tennessee with a career-high 243 snaps coming as a freshman in 2022. Expect the snap counts, and production, to rise this season.

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