The Tennessee Vols’ defense was the unquestioned motor of the team that went 10-3 last year and made the College Football Playoff for the first time ever.
With one of the deepest and most talented defensive fronts in the country and with an All-American in the secondary, Tennessee locked down opposing offenses and kept them from reaching 20 points until November.
Some of that talent is gone, but a good bit of it returns, with a number of starters and reserve players alike set to lead from the front.
Here are the top five returning Tennessee Vol defenders based on their 2024 Pro Football Focus grades:
1) Edge Joshua Josephs – 89.7
Talk about quiet production. In 365 defensive snaps last year, Josephs had a defensive grade of 89.7 and a run defense grade of 91.4. Both led Tennessee’s prolific defense, just above James Pearce, Jr. His pass rush mark of 86.4 was behind only Pearce, Jr. (88.9). Probably one of the highest and most under-the-radar performances in the entire country, and he will return to try to take over as the next great LEO on Tennessee’s defense after Byron Young and Pearce, Jr.
2) CB Jermod McCoy – 87.0
No surprise here. McCoy was an absolute stud last year after coming over from Oregon State. The only question is when he’s ready after suffering an ACL injury in January. If he’s ready for the start of the season or near it, the Vols will have a lockdown player on the outside of their defense once again this fall.
3) Edge Tyre West – 76.9
West logged the fewest snaps on this list with 201, but he made the most of them, particularly on passing downs. He generated 17 pressures in just 99 defensive snaps, which is a tremendous percentage. Josh Heupel and Tim Banks will have to figure out how to get him on the field more often, because he’s been productive in getting into opposing backfields.
4) CB Jalen McMurray – 76.4
McMurray logged 264 snaps last year, but his importance could be amplified if McCoy isn’t able to go to start the season. He allowed catches on 11 of 17 targets last year and earned a 77.7 coverage grade, which was third highest of the roster of anyone with more than 40 snaps.
5) CB Rickey Gibson III – 74.4
Tennessee managed to avoid losing Gibson to the transfer portal, and it could pay dividends in 2025. Gibson and McCoy paired to serve as one of the best starting CB tandems in the SEC and should again be strong if McCoy returns at top form. Gibson allowed 24 catches on 39 targets with a 76.3 coverage mark.