Defensive end Jonathan Kongbo looks on during Tennessee's practice on Aug. 18, 2016.KNOXVILLE - Two games into his first season of college football, Jonathan Kongbo remains far from a finished product.
With each passing week, though, the Tennessee defensive lineman is becoming more comfortable with his dual role as the game begins to slow down for the junior college transfer.
The Volunteers are using Kongbo in their defensive end rotation while also employing the 6-foot-6, 282-pounder inside as a defensive tackle on passing downs. With veteran LaTroy Lewis sidelined with an ankle injury, Kongbo is one player in line for a great opportunity in the coming weeks, starting Saturday against Ohio.
Kongbo said on coach Butch Jones' radio show Wednesday night that last week's game against Virginia Tech "definitely" felt different.
"I had an extra week to really look over the playbook," Kongbo said. "I think what really confused me a bit the first game was having to know the defensive tackle position and defensive end and all the drops. I sat down with Coach Strip (defensive line coach Steve Stripling) throughout the week and just went over and refined the plays, and the second game went much smoother."
In two games Kongbo recorded only one sack and one quarterback hurry, and Tennessee hopes more production follows as he grows into his role.
When he arrived on campus at around 280 pounds, there was always a possibility Kongbo would wind up playing inside, but the Vols currently plan to play him there only in certain situations. His athletic ability off the edge coupled with his size, speed and strength make him a player the Vols can use in different ways depending on the matchup and the down-and-distance.
"I think Kongbo's always going to be that multipurpose guy," Stripling said. "You're going to see him at both spots. If you look at the film, (Derek) Barnett played inside for at least one snap. Kongbo played inside for one or two snaps. We cross-train probably four or five of those guys.
"LaTroy's gone in there at times, not in a game yet, so there's several of them that can go in there by down-and-distance and by situation and the ability to get more end-type athleticism on the field."
The difference in playing inside and outside on the defensive line may not seem to require a big transition, but for a player like Kongbo in his third full year of playing organized football, the adjustment isn't simple.
"The training, as far as the knowledge, is the same," Stripling said. "The reactions are different. When you're a three-technique, you get double-teamed. When you're an end, you don't usually get that double team. It's a different world in there, but as far as teaching, they're all trained to take on a double team. The (tackles) just take on 25 a game and the end doesn't."
Kongbo had his black helmet stripe removed after Tuesday's practice, which Jones called "one of the greatest moments we've had so far this year." The removal of the stripe is a rite of passage for newcomers, and the team's veterans decide when a first-year player has showed enough in terms of his work ethic, effort and approach to have it removed.
"Jonathan's been an individual who's continued to grow and grow and grow and continued to get better," Jones said. "I think Derek Barnett, Kendal Vickers, Danny O'Brien, LaTroy - all the older players have done a great job of really taking him under their wing and really him understanding the standards and the expectations. He has great instincts.
"He's progressing and I've been really proud of him, but the smile on his face when he got his stripe removed, that was something very special."
Kongbo was born in the Congo, and his family fled to Canada when he was 5 years to escape the civil wars there. He grew up playing soccer, hockey, volleyball and basketball. He didn't play football until his senior year of high school, when the principal of his new school pulled him aside in a hallway and told him needed to play.
His recruitment spiked last season while he dominated at Arizona Western College.
"Tennessee was my first offer coming out of junior college," Kongbo said, "and I just felt like it was the best place for me to advance as a student, obviously, and as an athlete. It was a place that provided the best opportunity for me to see the field earlier."
Now Kongbo is trying to turn playing time into a greater impact, wherever he lines up.
"I'm up for the challenge," he said, "and I appreciate them entrusting me with all that."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com