Tennessee listed six defensive tackles as potential starters for the Chattanooga game. None are more important than Omari Thomas.
“I think our group has had a pretty good camp,” Thomas said during Tennessee’s press conference on Tuesday. “I feel like we came in every day just trying to grow.”
While there could be debate – and concern – about depth in other positions on Tennessee’s football team, defensive tackles isn’t one of them. While Tennessee head coach received some quips for his depth chart which used “or” 30 times in order to not actually name a starter, the word “or” was quite apt at defensive tackle.
The Vols have four senior tackles with game action in their two-deep lineup: Thomas, Bryson Eason, Elijah Simmons and Omar Norman-Lott. Looking for more? Junior transfer Jaxson Moi from Stanford has been a pleasant offseason surprise and sophomore Daevin Hobbs seems ready to go as well. He was one of the Vols’ most coveted prospects when he signed with Tennessee last year.
When asked what made the Vols interior defensive linemen a strength, Thomas said, “Just pushing each other, pushing me. I’m pushing them. We are all just trying to grow together and just be a dominant D-line, and that’s what we want to be.”
Tennessee’s defensive line has also surely benefitted from defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who has been able to mold the Vols throughout their careers. Tough? Yes, Garner is certainly that, but he’s also considered one of the top defensive line coaches in the country.
“Coach G is going to be Coach G,” Thomas said. “He’s been the same guy since we got here. We just learned to be more knowledgeable of the game and just take our game to the next step whether that’s learning how to play off each other rather than just being out there by yourself.
In other words, chemistry was a primary goal. That would certainly make sense with so many players that can contribute.
Tennessee’s defensive line hasn’t just challenged itself during preseason practice. The Vols’ d-line has also been tested by a veteran group of players on the offensive line, led by All-SEC center Cooper Mays.
“They’ve challenged us every day,” Thomas said. “They come out every day ready to work no matter who is out there on the offensive line. They come out ready to go hard at us. We go hard at them. So it’s good to just be able to compete and go against a good offensive line.”
That may not pay dividends when the Vols face an overmatched Chattanooga team on Saturday. However, tougher opponents, especially those in the SEC, are waiting to see just how good – and how deep – the Vols actually are up front defensively.
