KNOXVILLE – Asked on Sunday if the linebackers could be one of the strongest units on his first Tennessee team if healthy, Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt offered a quick clarification.
“Our guys are healthy,” he said.
If anyone knows the fragility of a linebacker’s health, it’s Pruitt. As defensive coordinator at Alabama last season, he watched four of his top linebackers get hurt during the Crimson Tide’s season opener. The rash of injuries at the position continued throughout the season and was brutal enough to cause a conniption for even the most seasoned of coaches.
As the Volunteers continue preseason practices, though, there is a fresh optimism blooming around a trio of veteran interior linebackers who – for now – are healthy at the same time, perhaps for the first time in their collegiate careers.
Daniel Bituli, the team’s leading tackler a year ago, is back for his junior season after missing spring practices because of shoulder surgery. Redshirt junior Quart’e Sapp returns after finishing fourth on the team in tackles in his first season as a regular contributor after injury struggles early in his career.