Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight (8) rushes for a touchdown as Tennessee defensive end Derek Barnett (9) defends during overtime in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016, in College Station, Texas. Texas A&M won 45-38 in overtime. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)KNOXVILLE - Despite key defenders dropping around him on a weekly basis and opponents intentionally avoiding his path, Derek Barnett played at an All-America level for Tennessee the first half of this season.
The Volunteers can't afford for the star defensive end to stop now.
Barnett is a primary reason No. 18 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) enters its final five regular-season games after an open date with plenty at stake. On Saturday at South Carolina (3-4, 1-4), the Vols begin what they hope is a march to double-digit wins and the SEC East title.
"I've never seen a player go through a three- or four-game streak like Derek Barnett's done these last four weeks," Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said last week.
"To me, if he's not on every ballot to be the SEC defensive player of the year, an All-American and some national awards - especially under the circumstances right now where people are scheming their protections and their game plan to avoid him at all costs and he's still being very dominant and disruptive up front - then they shouldn't be giving out some of these awards."
Barnett has 32 tackles, including 11.5 for loss and six sacks, with two forced fumbles and an interception this season. When Tennessee has most needed a big defensive play, the junior from Nashville has delivered.
Barnett's talent and production were no secret to anyone who has followed the Vols since 2014, but he's garnered more attention on a national level. He had two sacks and a third tackle for loss to fuel Tennessee's second-half surge against Florida. At Georgia he had two sacks, the second forcing a fumble recovered for a late go-ahead touchdown. At Texas A&M, Barnett had a sack and broke up a downfield pass in single coverage against a wide receiver.
His sack-and-fumble and interception mitigated the damage in the Vols' blowout loss to Alabama and earned him the SEC defensive lineman of the week nod despite the outcome.
Last week, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports pegged Barnett as a midseason All-American after earlier this season listing him among his top five candidates for the Heisman Trophy. A 2017 NFL draft board by Pro Football Focus ranked Barnett third behind Texas A&M's Myles Garrett and Alabama's Jonathan Allen.
"I tell the NFL guys," said Vols defensive line coach Steve Stripling, "you want this guy on your team."
Barnett can cement his place in the Vols' record book with continued production. He's currently third on the career sacks list with 26, trailing only Leonard Little (28) and Reggie White (32). With 10 more tackles for loss, Barnett will pass Little for the top spot in that category.
"Derek and I are kind of the same personality-wise," Stripling said. "We're not putting ourselves in front of anybody, but I would love that. I'm very excited for this young man's success."
Not all of Barnett's impact can be shown in stats.
"If I'm a young player," Vols coach Butch Jones said, "I have the greatest example going. Just watch Derek Barnett and try to emulate everything that he does. Watch him and the way he approaches every single practice, every single meeting, every single weight-room session how he's always working his skill set, how he's always competitive. He's been extremely positive, upbeat, very driven."
When Shoop was introduced to the team after being hired in January, he returned to his office and found Barnett waiting on him with a message.
"We've got to get this squared away right now," Barnett told Shoop. "You've got to get on these guys. These guys are soft. Come on, man, you've got to push these guys."
Now it's Barnett doing the pushing for Tennessee's decimated defense.
"He's one of those guys who doesn't say much," Shoop said, "but when he does it has a significant amount of substance and it carries weight.
"I've watched him evolve as a man and as a leader over the last three or four weeks. With (Cameron) Sutton out and (Jalen Reeves-)Maybin out, who are our two defensive captains, and with (Darrin) Kirkland out, who's got a lot of the same qualities, Barnett's really stepped up in practice and challenged guys to practice at a high level and to not accept anything less than their best."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.