Making The Case: Which Defender Is Most Valuable to Tennessee's Defense in 2022?

The 2022 Tennessee Volunteer football season is quickly approaching. Heading into each respective season there are always plenty of storylines. Over the next few weeks, the Volunteer Country staff will look into some of these storylines, position group battles, etc., and make the case for each topic being discussed. In this segment, we take a look at which defender is most valuable to Tennessee's defensive success in 2022.

Matt

This is tough because there are a lot of different ways one could go with this. Byron Young has a case because of his value as a pass rusher. Jeremy Banks case is more than clear, as he should once again be the leading tackler and a force in the middle. All the while, I think if you are Tennessee, you hope that in December this turns out to be Omari Thomas because it means you got a much needed step from the defensive line.

Still, at the end of the day, given the depth concerns at linebacker, I think you have to go with Jeremy Banks. His downhill striking ability will be imperative to Tennessee's defense this fall. Banks played well for the majority of the 2021 season, and he can build on that even more this fall. If he can improve in pass coverage, he should be one of the most complete linebackers in the conference this fall. 

Banks showed promise early in his career as a three-down linebacker, and Tennessee needs him to sustain that this fall. The Vols were more than limited last fall at the position, and Banks's supporting cast should be more improved this fall. Juwan Mitchell returns to the rotation, along with Aaron Beasley, Solon Page and Elijah Herring. 

Jack

Byron Young is a clear candidate. As is Banks. Getting to the quarterback is something Byron Young will undoubtedly be able to, and Banks' toughness and experience make him extremely valuable. 

But I'll go with a different approach. 

Last year, interior defensive lineman Matthew Butler was, to me, the most important player for the Tennessee defense. He was in the thick of everything and served as the captain for a fairly young unit. For this question, I'm sticking with the same position as Butler and giving the nod to Omari Thomas. 

Thomas will not be nearly as experienced as Butler was, as 'Big O' is entering his junior year. But he learned a lot from Butler and is ready to become the leader of the defensive line. 

"Matt and I had a real good connection outside of football," Thomas said this Spring. "We hung out outside of the facility all the time. We talk all the time while he has been going through this (the draft) process. I have been keeping him uplifted and he has kept me uplifted with spring ball. We have a real good connection; it has been really good to get to know Matt and now we just continue to build our brotherhood."

Thomas impressed in his sophomore campaign, seeing plenty of snaps in 13 appearances and six starts. His safety against Ole Miss is scratching the surface of the heights Thomas can reach the next two years with Rodney Garner, starting in 2021 as a candidate to be the defensive MVP for the Volunteers.