According to college football analyst Greg McElroy, the Tennessee Volunteers’ defense could be one of the best in the SEC this season.
When you mention the Tennessee Volunteers in a conversation now, one of the first things people think of is the offensive side of the football. That makes sense considering what head coach Josh Heupel has done for the program on that side of the ball and how successful he’s been on offense over the past few years. The defense showed some bright spots in 2023, however, and one college football analyst believes they could take a few more steps in the 2024 college football season.
Former Alabama quarterback and now college football analyst Greg McElroy said on a recent episode of “Always College Football” that he believes Tennessee’s defense could be the difference this season. But not only that, he believes they could be one of the best in the SEC this season.
“They had a lot of players that were in and out on offense, so there wasn’t a lot of continuity there, but we keep forgetting that this defense has a chance to be one of the best in the league,” McElroy said. “I mean, their defensive line could be the best in the SEC.”
For comparison, Tennessee finished third in the SEC in points per game, fourth in rushing defense, fourth in total defense and eighth in passing defense entering the 2023 season. So the Volunteers may be better known for their offensive output under Heupel, but the defense has definitely shown signs of improvement as well.
Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is a big reason why people like McElroy believe Tennessee’s defensive line could be the best in the SEC. Pearce Jr. has a chance to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The bigger question this season is the secondary.
The Volunteers recently lost Jourdan Thomas for the season, and he was expected to be a starter in 2024. That has now set up a battle at STAR between true freshman Boo Carter and junior Christian Harrison. The secondary defense woes have been a problem for the Volunteers over the years, but if they can find answers in that area of the defense, they could very well have one of the best all-around defenses in the SEC for the 2024 college football season, which would be huge for an offense that is expected to be back in full swing this season with Nico Iamaleava at quarterback.
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