Brandon Turnage Named SEC Defensive Player of Week
In Tennessee's 45-20 victory over SEC foe South Carolina, the Vols were without leading tackler on the season in Theo Jackson, leaving a void to be filled in the Tennessee defense.
And Brandon Turnage filled it.
The redshirt sophomore stepped in excellent fashion for Jackson, leading the team in tackles with 14, two being for a loss.
Turnage was all over the field for the Vols on Saturday, and his impressive performance has garnered attention, as the Alabama transfer defensive back has been named SEC defensive player of the week.
The news was made official by Tennessee Football's twitter page on Monday with the tweet below:
The first year Vol in Turnage showed that the Tennessee secondary has the depth necessary to compete with SEC offenses, and the 'next man up' mentality Josh Heupel incorporates with his team has proved successful.
The next four games in Ole Miss, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky will be tougher tests for the Vols' defense, but Turnage's great showing on Saturday combined with what Theo Jackson and Alontae Taylor have brought to the table this season provide optimism for Willie Martinez' squad to rise to the occasion as the season progresses.
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