Tennessee players celebrate their win over Kentucky at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014. The Volunteers won over the Wildcats with a final score of 50-16.KNOXVILLE – As if one reminder wasn’t enough, Derek Barnett got another one as his time at the podium Saturday evening following Tennessee’s 50-16 rout of Kentucky at Neyland Stadium.
The Volunteers’ fantastic freshman, in addition to four more tackles for loss, added two sacks to his account to give him nine for the season. That’s one more than Jadeveon Clowney, the No. 1 pick in May’s NFL draft, had as a freshman at South Carolina in 2011.
“That’s pretty cool, I think,” Barnett said sheepishly. “I just play football, and I just have fun. I don’t get caught up into the stats and stuff. I think football’s fun, so I’m going to keep on playing it.”
The four-star recruit out of the Nashville area has been a revelation for Tennessee’s defense this season, and he’s made a bigger impact that anyone could have expected.
“I knew we had some freshmen that’s going to make an impact, but honestly, I don’t think nobody could really foresee the production that he’s been playing with,” defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt said. “He’s getting better game after game, and he’s consistent.