KNOXVILLE - If the injury bug hits Tennessee's linebackers in 2017 the way it did in 2016, coaches will find some solace knowing one of the side effects from last year will be a benefit this time around.
"You got experience," linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen said Tuesday, referring to players who were forced into bigger roles last season. "And you can never underestimate guys actually playing in front of that 102,000 (fans at Neyland Stadium)."
Serious injuries to Darrin Kirkland Jr., Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Quart'e Sapp rocked the core of Tennessee's defense last season, leaving Thigpen no choice but to trot out a green group of linebackers for the heart of the Southeastern Conference schedule.
Baylor School graduate Colton Jumper made six times the amount of tackles he had posted as a redshirt freshman, and Cortez McDowell nearly doubled his combined tackles total from his first two seasons in the program. Dillon Bates, Elliott Berry and Daniel Bituli all played in key games, too, as the Volunteers tried to glue together a competitive defense under new coordinator Bob Shoop.
They took some blows but are green no more.
"I've got a lot of guys who have a lot of experience in the room," Thigpen said, "and a lot of experience as far as guys knowing what to do, knowing their responsibilities, knowing the gap assignments and then also being able to help those young guys."
The 2017 roster will include five players who have started at least one game at linebacker in a Tennessee uniform, including Austin Smith, who started a game at linebacker in 2015 before moving to defensive end but is now back at linebacker.
The group has also welcomed early enrollee Shanon Reid during spring practices, which will conclude with the Orange and White Game on April 22 at Neyland Stadium. Freshmen linebackers Will Ignont and Solon Page will join the team at preseason camp.
With three-linebacker sets becoming increasingly rare in college football, there will be plenty of competition for the spot beside Kirkland, who figures to enter his junior season as a starter.
Vols coach Butch Jones described the competition for the second linebacker slot as "something that's continuing to go." But he noted that some of the players vying for the job are not able to take part in spring practice, which hinders the competition.
Kirkland position as the middle linebacker requires a vocal leader who can identify offensive formations and align his defensive comrades. For the Vols, the other linebacker is typically a faster player.
Thigpen expressed that he's more concerned about identifying the best players than he is about catering to the positional nuances, however.
"Having that depth and being able to play a high level of football and making sure we don't have to coach down to the lowest denominator," Thigpen said, "being able to be as sophisticated as we want to on defense and making sure guys don't have mental errors and mental busts, that's the key for us to being successful."
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.