Tennessee Football: Offseason Goals for Vols Defense

The Tennessee football team's defense took several major steps forward in 2014, but if the Vols are going to make a giant leap into SEC contention next year, the unit must get better.

There's little reason to think it won't be.

Only middle linebacker A.J. Johnson, nickelback Justin Coleman and defensive tackle Jordan Williams depart from the rotation. A third-ranked recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, will bring more hype and infuse more talent into a rapidly improving group as well.

One of the jewels of that class, 4-star defensive end Kyle Phillips, told reporters Wednesday that he is already meeting high expectations with anticipation: "It’s a lot of excitement. We just feel that we have great expectations next year. We feel like we can go far next year and maybe have a run at the playoffs, but we'll just see how it goes from there."

Those are lofty goals, but if the UT defense takes similar leaps in statistical categories as it did in the past year, the Vols could shock plenty of teams. They were already among the league's best in pass defense, tackles for a loss and third-down defense.

Still, finishing eighth in total defense and ninth in scoring defense, per CFBStats.com, proves there's a long way to go. Here are some things coordinator John Jancek's group needs to focus on this offseason.

Build Bulk

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Tennessee boasted one of the quickest defenses in the entire conference that thrived on getting to opposing quarterbacks in 2014. But the main reason the Vols finished ninth in rush defense was their lack of size and strength in the front seven.

Especially when A.J. Johnson went out and was replaced by true freshman Jakob Johnson, UT was exposed.

That tends to happen when a team has a three-man defensive tackle rotation that consists of 286-pound Danny O'Brien, 284-pound Jordan Williams and 288-pound Owen Williams.

They all played well for much of the year, but against the rugged, run-heavy teams such as Alabama and Georgia, that size and lack of rotation just won't cut it.

The Vols took some necessary steps in getting bigger up front by adding 354-pound 5-star recruit Kahlil McKenzie and 315-pound Shy Tuttle to the mix.

Both need to get in the weight room and be ready to help immediately. Tuttle is already on campus, and since McKenzie is the son of Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, he already is one of the strongest players on UT's team.

Via 247Sports' Chad Carson, a video surfaced this week of McKenzie easily bench-pressing 405 pounds.

Beyond that, however, O'Brien and Owen Williams must get bigger, along with reserve tackles Dimarya Mixon (282 pounds) and Kendal Vickers (262 pounds).

Linebackers such as Jalen Reeves-Maybin (230 pounds), Chris Weatherd (225 pounds), Dillon Bates (222 pounds) and freshman Darrin Kirkland Jr. (235 pounds) can experience plenty of positive body transformation between now and the beginning of the season.

Simply put, the Vols must get bigger and stronger. The quickness isn't an issue, but matching up in a league as versatile as the SEC is essential. The more multiple looks UT can give on defense, the better.

Develop Dependable Depth

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The aforementioned three-man rotation at defensive tackle should tell you all you need to know about the holes that come along with rebuilding a football team.

They existed everywhere for the Vols in 2014.

But with another full recruiting class that already includes 13 players who project as defenders, that should get much better.

Toward the end of the season, LaTroy Lewis and Corey Vereen showed solid potential of backing up Curt Maggitt and Derek Barnett at defensive end. The four highly regarded edge presences that UT is bringing in (Kyle Phillips, Darrell Taylor, Marques Ford and Andrew Butcher) could play a role too.

At tackle, the depth will be young but talented.

The Vols must find a solid middle linebacker out of a group that consists of Darrin Kirkland Jr., Kenny Bynum, Jakob Johnson and Gavin Bryant, who had a nice game in the TaxSlayer Bowl to get a head start on the rest of the competition.

In the secondary, two or three cornerbacks need to emerge, and UT also has to find another player to rely on at safety besides Brian Randolph, LaDarrell McNeil and Todd Kelly Jr., especially considering the first two are seniors.

This is a talented but largely untested roster, and UT has to identify not just serviceable depth but playmakers between now and September.

Correct the Cornerbacks

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Rising junior cornerback Cameron Sutton is a star who is underappreciated when it comes award season, but his value is obvious on the field.

Other than him, Tennessee has a bunch of talented players who haven't proved able to change games at the position.

Lanky sophomore Emmanuel Moseley had a solid freshman season, finishing with 19 total tackles in 13 games. But he didn't force any turnovers, and that has to change. With his speed, he can make some noise if he gets his hands on the ball.

Moseley took over for starter Michael Williams, who was UT's most physical corner before getting pulled off the field along with A.J. Johnson in a sexual assault investigation that is yet unresolved. Though Williams remains suspended, he was listed on UT's latest roster that includes the midterm enrollees.

At nickel, the career resurgence of Justin Coleman—who got beaten his share of times, as always, but also held his own with four interceptions and 42 tackles—will be sorely missed. The Vols will try to work in sophomore RaShaan Gaulden and junior Malik Foreman at the vital position.

The headliner for UT's defensive back recruiting class is 6'2", 192-pound JUCO transfer Justin Martin, who has elite speed and size for a corner and figures to play a lot, if not start immediately. The nation's top teams wanted him, but if UT can hang onto him in the days before national signing day, he'll be a gem.

Between Moseley, Martin and possibly Williams, UT has to find corners it can count on. The nickel position is up in the air as well. It's essential the Vols find some players to go along with Sutton to solidify the boundary.

Fix Middle Linebacker

Credit: 247Sports

Darrin Kirkland Jr. is a mid-term enrollee who could figure into the immediate picture at MLB.

When UT flipped the nation's fifth-ranked middle linebacker from Michigan, the Vols didn't expect Darrin Kirkland Jr. to stand on the sideline.

Weighing in at 6'2", 235 pounds, according to UT's official roster, he has the size to compete right away after enrolling in January. He showcased in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl that he has the sideline-to-sideline speed to excel in the SEC as well.

Barton Simmons, 247Sports' director of scouting, spoke to GoVols247's Ryan Callahan (subscription required) about Kirkland following the game:

"

I think he closes on the football really well. He made a great play, obviously, to end the game on Torrance Gibson, so he does have, I think, really elite finishing speed. And I thought he was very active all week long in finding the football. He was a guy that we liked heading in, and I think he validated everything we thought about him.

"

Kirkland is far from the only option in Knoxville, however. Rising redshirt junior Kenny Bynum didn't make a huge impact on the stat sheet (two tackles), but he drew praise for his TaxSlayer Bowl performance after true freshman Jakob Johnson struggled during the season's final two games.

If Johnson improves his instincts and lateral quickness, he'll be in the conversation for snaps, and a bit of a forgotten man is former 4-star prospect Gavin Bryant. He redshirted while reshaping his body and is listed at 6'0", 236 pounds entering his first year to play.

It's also possible that Dillon Bates could project inside, but UT has plenty of options. The Vols just have to find a couple who can fill the immense shoes of A.J. Johnson.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin Takes the Next Step

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This may be senior Curt Maggitt's defense, but Jalen Reeves-Maybin is about to step into the spotlight as the next great Tennessee linebacker.

He's a near-lock to lead the Vols in tackles from his outside linebacker position, but the 6'1", 230-pound linebacker has some strides to make this offseason. Having to play so many snaps this year, he was fatigued late in the year, and his play showed it.

Even so, he was all over the field for the majority of the season, finishing tied for the team lead with 101 tackles. He also registered two sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a quarterback hurry.

He was a force for the Vols, who were forced to play without Dillon Bates—who was expected to provide depth—and with JUCO transfer Chris Weatherd still learning the defense.

With the extra rest leading up to the bowl game, JRM was a monster. He had a career-best 13 tackles against Iowa, announcing that he's got next in Knoxville.

The converted safety spent this season getting comfortable at his new position, and he's going to get even bigger and stronger in the offseason. 

Reeves-Maybin is the kind of throwback linebacker the Vols had in the John Chavis years—the kind of player who already looks like an NFL second-level playmaker. The Clarksville, Tennessee, native will have every opportunity to lead in 2015. If he does, Tennessee's defense is going to get hard to handle in a hurry.

Emphasize Closing the Door

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As well as Tennessee's defense played in certain situations last year (looking at you, third downs), the Vols were atrocious in several other categories that need shoring up in a hurry.

Big plays and red-zone situations stand out.

In other words, on a down-to-down basis through the course of a game, UT played well defensively. But it allowed 24 points per game because it let opponents make plays when they mattered most. When the Vols bent, they broke.

According to CFBStats.com, Tennessee was ninth in the league allowing 56 plays of more than 20 yards. The Vols were 11th in plays of 30-plus yards, giving up 29. They also allowed four plays of 60 or more yards.

John Jancek's group was even worse inside the 20-yard line. UT was last in the SEC in red-zone defense, allowing opponents to score 94.2 percent of the time. Only Kentucky was worse at allowing touchdowns. Once opponents got inside the 20, they crossed the goal line 67.65 percent of the time against the Vols.

Big plays and red-zone struggles can be chalked up to inexperience and lack of depth. Those things should improve significantly by 2015. But head coach Butch Jones needs to put UT's defense in situations throughout spring and fall drills to see how the players respond.

If the Vols can shore up these several areas, next year could be the year they re-arrive on the national scene.

All recruiting information from 247Sports composite rankings, unless otherwise noted. All roster information gathered from UTSports.com and statistical data found at CFBStats.com, unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.