Impact Report: Vols Add Massive DT with High Upside in Da'Jon Terry

Josh Heupel is making it clear that he came to Knoxville to win now. In the last month, Heupel has added transfer quarterback Joe Milton to the battle for that position, graduate transfer receiver Javonta Payton to a stacked receiving corps, in addition to defenders Caleb Tremblay and Juwan Mitchell to the front seven. The Vols have continued to bolster their defense with the latest addition in Kansas transfer defensive tackle Da'Jon Terry. We take a look at the Kansas transfer in this impact report. 

Background

Terry is not a guy who just pops right off the charts initially, but his entry into the transfer portal caught the attention of many colleges across the country, and Tennessee jumped into the mix right away with several others. Terry only played one year of high school ball at Meridian (Miss.), which is one reason that he did not receive much exposure at that stage. Kansas came in and landed him at the end of the early signing period, or other teams might have started to push in the later months. Terry played in two games as a freshman at Kansas, and he started to flourish in his redshirt freshman season. He totaled 14 tackles, including two sacks over eight games last fall. 

Fit

Terry is not just a big body in the middle of the defense. This is a kid with an immense amount of untapped potential who has really only played two full seasons of football in his life. He will plug into the middle of Tennessee's defense, and I feel confident that he will make a push to start, as Rodney Garner will look to revamp that front group, which struggled mightily at times in the spring. Measuring in at 6'4", 320lbs, Terry is already a space-eater, but when disengaged from a blocker, he moves like he is 265lbs. He pursues well in all phases of the game, and he has developed a nice move set for this stage of his career, which should only continue to improve under Rodney Garner. This is a guy that will give centers all that they want in one-on-one situations. 

Impact Rating

I know it seems I have been high on all of these transfer ratings of late, but they have all addressed a key need, and the Tennessee staff is truly excited to get these players in the mix. Terry is no different. Adding Juwan Mitchell was huge for the Vols, but putting Terry in front of him makes that even more significant. Terry is not a guy that many centers and guards are going to be able to handle one-on-one all game long. He will beat them at some point, and if an offensive line even has to chip him in support before moving to the second level, it frees Mitchell up, even more, to make plays with his quickness to the point attack. The second reason Terry's addition is critical for the Vols is that this is bringing in a guy who has handled his business academically and understands the demands of college on and off the field. Finally, he has four years remaining to play. He was a redshirt freshman last fall during the free-to-play COVID season, so he will have four years in Knoxville. It addresses major needs on a lot of fronts for Tennessee. 

Impact rating: 8.5 of 10.