Off The Hook Sports continues its 2022 Tennessee football preseason preview on the top 25 impact players for the Vols this upcoming season.

Coming in at No. 22 is defensive back Kamal Hadden.

Past Performance

Redshirt junior Kamal Hadden has had quite the journey to Rocky Top.

It started with a commitment to Jim McElwain and Central Michigan in 2018. Hadden grew up in a rough neighborhood in Ypsilanti, Mich. and was unable to register for classes at CMU with a low GPA. He had a contingency plan, however.

Hadden enrolled at Independence Community College in Kansas, the same school featured in seasons three and four of Netflix’s Last Chance U. He starred there, totaling 21 tackles, forcing 3 fumbles and nabbing one interception.

Hadden had dreams of playing in the SEC and fulfilled them when he transferred to Auburn. He had a great relationship with UCF secondary coach Willie Martinez and followed him to Tennessee when Josh Heupel migrated northwest in 2021. He never saw the field with the Tigers that season.

But Hadden fulfilled his role well at Tennessee in 2021. He played well in his first season for the Vols and totaled 17 tackles, 13 of which were solo. Hadden also forced one fumble in a stellar performance against Alabama and posted two tackles for loss.

That aforementioned Alabama game was the best of his career at any level of the sport. Hadden made eight tackles with a  forced fumble and a tackle for loss in his first and only start that season.

Hadden’s first interception at Tennessee came in the bowl game against Purdue, jumping in front of a pass in the end zone to keep the Boilermakers from the score.

Opportunities

Hadden’s success in his start against Alabama showed his potential. A guy playing that well must deserve some starts moving forward, right?

If ever there was an opportunity for Hadden, it’s this upcoming season. He’s a cornerback by nature, that’s where most of his production came from at Independence in his JUCO season, but shined at safety and nickel against Alabama. Fellow 2021 transfer Brandon Turnage outperformed Hadden at the nickel position last season, and looks to be a solid replacement for NFL-departed Theo Jackson at STAR.

So where does that leave Hadden? Jaylen McCollough and Trevon Flowers will certainly retain their roles at safety, though Flowers has made strides towards the open STAR position in spring practice. That leaves the corner position opposite Warren Burrell as a decent fit.

But by no means is that guaranteed. Junior Doneiko Slaughter, fellow JUCO transfer Dee Williams and freshman Christian Charles are all vying for that position as well.

Hadden was held out of the beginning of spring practice with an undisclosed injury.

Hear it from…

Hadden’s injury left his development this offseason to radio silence.

That development is what’s most interesting about the JUCO product this season, coming into his second season in a secondary that was among the worst in the SEC last season.

Following his interception against Purdue to end the 2021 season, head coach Josh Heupel had this to say about how Hadden progressed from point A to point B for Tennessee across his first season.

“Kamal’s had good bowl practices,” Heupel said. “He’s working really hard. Honestly, anytime you transfer in, and for all the guys, it’s a new system. For Kamal, who hadn’t really had a great body of work coming from a junior college, he’s gotten better, he really has.”

Progressing from that level of competition to the SEC, even at a solid JUCO program such as Independence, is a rough reality. Despite this, Hadden made massive strides into showing he can compete at this level of the game.

The Vols need to see that progression this season. If not starting, Coach Martinez and the rest of the secondary need a guy to fall back on when things inevitably get out of hand as they did last season.

Tennessee has a lot of guys in that secondary room, each vying for their shot as Hadden is. The opportunity is certainly there, but that doesn’t mean the window will be open for very long.