KNOXVILLE – LaTrell Bumphus has a simple approach to football: Do whatever it takes.
So when Tennessee coaches approached him about moving from offense to defense, it was no sweat. When the position change meant he had to put on weight, no sweat.
It doesn’t matter to Bumphus as long as it leads to success down the road.
The 6-foot-3, 273-pound junior made the transition from tight end to defensive end for the Volunteers in the offseason, a move that has been magnified in importance by senior Emmit Gooden’s injury and the lack of depth and experience on the defensive line. Simply put, the Vols need players, and if Bumphus – whose collegiate playing experience is primarily at tight end or on special teams – can be developed into a quality defensive lineman, it will be viewed as an added benefit.
“He is a guy that played both ways in high school, so we did this a little in the spring last year,” Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said. “I saw some things last spring that we liked. We felt like last year he felt a little better for us on offense. He is a guy that is learning the position, and I see a guy that has some wiggle when it comes to pass rush. … He is doing a good job, but we probably need him to do some things with different techniques. That is probably not who he is, but he can help us on that side of the ball.”