Darrin Kirkland Jr. (34) has been working his way back to his usual standout form in Tennessee's last two games and feels he's ready to shine today.KNOXVILLE - Darrin Kirkland Jr. is hoping to finish his second season at Tennessee the same way he wrapped up the first, even if the path to get there wasn't what the talented linebacker had in mind.
The sophomore returned to the center of the Volunteers' defense at South Carolina after missing five games with an ankle injury, but more importantly Kirkland feels he's back to being himself after playing in the past two games.
He hopes to show the rust is completely gone in today's key SEC East game against Kentucky.
"It was difficult," Kirkland said of missing multiple games after getting hurt against Virginia Tech in the second game. "Playing linebacker is just something (in which) repetition is the biggest thing as far as the communication standpoint, as far as the eye discipline standpoint - everything has to be so consistent. I lost a little bit of that as I was out for those six weeks.
"It definitely helped, those last two games, getting back in, getting some real game reps and getting more practice reps as well. I'm getting a lot more confident toward the end of the season."
In the final seven games of his freshman season, the Indianapolis native recorded 44 tackles, four tackles for loss, one fumble recovery and an interception, and his finish to the season had many excited for what Kirkland could do in a full season as Tennessee's starting middle linebacker.
Instead, he badly twisted his ankle making a tackle late in the third quarter against the Hokies and sat out nearly half of the season.
Former Baylor School standout Colton Jumper played admirably in Kirkland's absence with 39 tackles in five starts - including double-digit tackle games against Georgia and Texas A&M - but the Vols certainly missed one of their most talented defenders.
"Having D.K. go down wasn't something that we wanted or expected," defensive end LaTroy Lewis said, "but I think Colton Jumper did a heck of a job stepping in for him.
"We're talking about a position on the field where you have to know your job, you have to be able to play the run, play the pass, you have to be vocal, you have to be the communication between the defensive line and the secondary and still communicate within the linebackers.
"Colton Jumper did a great job with that. D.K. does just as good a job, and the way he stretches the field left and right and his ability to run, I'm excited to have that back."
Kirkland made a team-high eight tackles against South Carolina, though he missed a few and was on the receiving end of an impressive juke by Rico Dowdle on the freshman running back's 40-yard run.
In roughly one half of action against Tennessee Tech, Kirkland's lone tackle was for a loss.
"He's been the leader of the defense," defensive coordinator Bob Shoop said. "He brings the alpha male kind of deal that (Derek) Barnett brings. Some people might say he brings a little bit of dog to the table right there, and that's been good, man. That's been really good. We need that from him.
"He can run. He reads his keys well. He's very instinctive. He's got high football intellect. He scraped a little bit of the rust off against South Carolina but played pretty well. The same this week - in the second half he didn't get any snaps, and that was fine - but he's been practicing.
"I think certainly think we're going to need him to play his A-game this week against Kentucky."
A Tennessee defense decimated by five season-ending injuries, the dismissal of a veteran starter and multiple starters and key players missing at least one and in most cases multiple games will welcome having Kirkland and Cam Sutton, who could play today against the Wildcats, back for the stretch run with the SEC East on the line.
"We can't control injuries. It's just part of the game," Kirkland said.
"It's exciting," he added. "This is what you want. You want to be in the conversation for championships. We just have to focus on what we can control. That's this weekend against Kentucky at 12 o'clock, and our goal is to go 1-0. We have to put our best forward and just focus on what we can control at this time."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.