LaTrell Bumphus to Focus on Leadership Skills Ahead of Senior Season

The rising senior is one of the most experienced options the Vols have ya the defensive line position.

LaTrell Bumphus has worked hard all throughout the off-season to improve every aspect of his game and become an overall better football player; however, one of the main elements of the game he has focused on improving has nothing to do with lifting weights or increasing speed. The rising senior told the media during a press conference on Friday that one of the main things he has tried to get better at this off-season is becoming a vocal leader.

“I like to lead by example because sometimes I’m not always the most vocal person,” explained Bumphus during the virtual conference. “Here lately, I’ve been trying to work on speaking up and picking others up. Not saying anything, a lot of times, people don’t always understand what you’re trying to get across. This year I’ve been working on speaking up and becoming a better leader.”

The rising senior is entering his fourth season in Knoxville, and brings a long and experienced track record to the defensive front this year. Bumphus has played in 33 games and racked up 24 tackles, 7 of which were for losses, as well as two sacks and a forced fumble throughout his career on Rocky Top.

While he was originally recruited to be a tight end by then-head coach Butch Jones, Bumphus was unable to compete with senior Dominick Wood-Anderson and fierce run-blocker Austin Pope, which triggered his conversion to the defensive line. During his first season in the rotation, Bumphus was able to successfully burst onto the scene, with his best match-up of the season coming in the Vols’ massive victory against Kentucky in Lexington — finishing with 5 tackles, two of which were for losses.

While the defensive lineman has undoubtedly had a decent run in Knoxville, he is looking to take his game to an entirely new level this year following a few noteworthy departures along the defensive front — including the loss of Emmit Gooden, who was dismissed from the team earlier in the off-season. Bumphus’ willingness to take on a leadership role will also be a major storyline to watch heading into the 2020 season, as he will need to be more vocal than usual due to the unprecedented challenges the Vols will face this year by playing in the midst of a global pandemic.

The first game of Bumphus’ senior season will come on the road in Columbia against South Carolina on September 26th. In order for the Vols to succeed and start the season out on the right note, they will have to successfully put pressure on Ryan Hilinski and make the Gamecocks offense very uncomfortable; it should be the first key test for Bumphus’ leadership role along the defensive front.