Given the way final impressions can linger, the 2022 college football season can’t get here soon enough for Tennessee’s defense.
The Volunteers were torched for 627 yards and 7.8 yards per play during late December’s 48-45 overtime loss to Purdue in the Music City Bowl. They gave up touchdown receptions of 62 and 70 yards in the fourth quarter alone, but that afternoon in Nashville was not without silver linings.
Linebacker Jeremy Banks tied a Tennessee bowl record with 20 tackles, and edge rusher Byron Young gave Vols fans plenty to look forward to with his disruptive stat line of eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and an interception.
“I think BY is getting a lot more comfortable trying to lead, which is awesome,” defensive coordinator Tim Banks said this week in a news conference as the Vols opened their second spring under Josh Heupel. “He’s not a guy who’s super vocal all the time, but we put him in situations this offseason where we forced him to do it, and I think he’s responded in a positive way. He’s obviously talented and has good twitch.
“He’s put on good weight, and I’m excited about him. I think he really has a chance to take another step.”
Young is one of the top tales on Tennessee’s roster, having turned 24 years old two weeks ago and having arrived last year from Georgia Military College, where he couldn’t compete in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak. His stint at GMC, which began with a 2019 season containing 31 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks, followed a roughly 18-month stint stocking shelves at a Dollar General store in Columbus, Georgia.
An eligibility snag stemming from high school resulted in Young having to sit out the Bowling Green and Pittsburgh games last season, but he wound up tallying 46 tackles in his 11 appearances, which included eight starts. His 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks tied Banks for team-high honors in those categories, with five of Young’s sacks occurring in the final four Southeastern Conference contests against Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and Vanderbilt.
“I think I played hard last year, but I don’t think I played smart,” Young said. “I hustled, but this year I think I need to work more on my technique. This year, I’m going to play smarter and not try to rush everything.”
The senior is listed at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds this spring, up a couple of pounds from last season. His interception against Purdue occurred after he dropped back into coverage, so there may be no limitations to what Young can do this season or what coaches have planned for him.
“It’s a lot better,” Young said when asked about his second spring. “Now I can just focus on my craft and my technique. Before I had to learn a whole defense and get to know everybody, but it’s way easier and I’m way more confident.
“Everything I did last year, I want to make that 10 times better.”
First impressions
Jordan Phillips is a 6-2, 295-pound freshman defensive tackle who went through some of Tennessee’s on-campus bowl practices and enrolled in January. He was a three-star signee from Orlando but apparently hasn’t taken long to adjust to Rocky Top from the Sunshine State.
“I love Knoxville. I absolutely love Knoxville,” he said this week. “The biggest thing I really enjoy is this facility. I’ll be here all day and all night, so the facility and the weight room has been my favorite part of Knoxville.
“Calhoun’s on the River is also pretty nice.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.