Danny O'Brien Suspended: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction on Tennessee DT

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones announced Wednesday that defensive tackle Danny O'Brien has been suspended for one game for a violation of team rules.  

Wes Rucker of 247Sports reported the news and included what Jones had to say about O'Brien's ban for Saturday's upcoming matchup with Oklahoma:

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It's disappointing anytime you have to do that...It's like [disciplining] your own kids. You hate to do it, but you have to do it. We have standards and expectations...I feel for Danny. He's done some very good things in our football program. We're working with him. We'll see what happens down the road.

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Jones added that O'Brien made a "bad choice" as opposed to having poor character, though he didn't get into any further specifics on the matter.

RockyTopTalk.com's Charlie Burris weighed in on what O'Brien's absence means for Tennessee's rotation in the defensive trenches:

Most intriguing among those who can fill in for O'Brien for the time being is Kahlil McKenzie. The true freshman was a 5-star recruit and was rated by 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 6 overall prospect in the country and the second-best defensive tackle.

O'Brien is a redshirt junior whose impact will have to be emulated by multiple players ahead of the Vols' Top 25 showdown with the Sooners. He had a sack in the season-opening win over Bowling Green and racked up 23 total tackles (4.5 TFL) last season, per Sports-Reference.com.

This Saturday is a golden opportunity for McKenzie to have a coming-out party of sorts and for Tennessee to shine on the national stage in an early crossroads clash of sorts for two marquee programs. As it stands now, O'Brien could be available to return for September 19's game against Western Carolina.