Making the Case: Can a Freshman Fill Nigel Warrior's Void?

The 2020 season will see the Tennessee Volunteers needing to fill some key roster spots if they hope to be successful. The Vols ended the 2019 season on a six-game winning streak, culminating with a come from behind win over Indiana in the Gator Bowl. Momentum was important for the Vols on the field in 2019, and that carried over to the recruiting trail. The Vols are trending in the right direction because they showed success on the field, but they also landed a Top Ten recruiting class in the nation with their 2020 signing class. Jeremy Pruitt and his staff will need this class to live up to their ranking in order to see the Vols have success over the long term, however, some of the new arrivals will be called on immediately to step in and play.

This series will see our staff members looking at several positions of need on the Tennessee roster that could be filled by an incoming freshman. The staff will make a case for which freshman they feel can rise to fill the role in question. Today's piece looks at the safety position.

In 2019 the Vols saw Nigel Warrior struggle early at safety, before coming on strong and having an excellent close to his season. Warrior rode a strong finish to his Tennessee career to an NFL contract with the Ravens, but his departure leaves the Vols looking to replace not only a talented, productive player but a player that had years of starting experience and a significant leadership role. Trevon Flowers also started games for Tennessee at safety in 2019, before a broken leg cut his season short. Flowers figures to be a favorite to secure a starting job if he has recovered well from injury, but it is a job he will have to fight for. One of the top prospects in the 2019 class, Jaylen McCollough, started the final six games of the season for the Vols. Those six games were also all victories for Tennessee, as McCollough was an important part of the Tennessee defense in their run down the stretch. The Vols signed several other talented players in the 2019 and 2020 classes that could also have something to say about who wins these two starting roles.

Brandon: If a 2020 signee is getting on the field as a safety, it is going to be Keshawn Lawrence. The Ensworth product ended as the top-rated player in the state of Tennessee in the 2020 cycle, and for good reason. Lawrence is a rare athlete that can make an impact all over the field. He has outstanding speed, excellent change of direction, he is a good tackler, his ball skills are exceptional, and he has a knack for creating turnovers. If all that wasn't enough, Lawrence is also a threat to take any turnovers he does get back for a score, as well as being an incredibly dangerous punt returner. Lawrence is a high football IQ player and a natural leader. He became one of the leaders of the 2020 class early, not only becoming a valuable peer recruiter but also doing an enormous amount to hold the class together when the Vols struggled out of the gate in 2019. Lawrence is an elite talent that will not be easy to keep off the field. The most likely thing to keep Lawrence from earning a starting safety role could be if he moves to corner, another position the staff loves him at, and believes he can play.

Matt: Tennessee's secondary class in 2020 is slim in terms of the number of signees. Keshawn Lawrence is arguably the most naturally gifted prospect in the group of 23 enrollees. However, I believe Lawrence is going to get his first look at cornerback, and he is good enough to make an impact there. Tennessee can get creative with their secondary this fall, and we have seen Jeremy Pruitt move highly regarded players to a new position time and time again over his time at Alabama, Florida State, and Georgia. If a freshman is going to step in and fill Warrior's void, I will not discount Lawrence because I feel confident that he will be on the field, but I like Doneiko Slaughter. Sources indicate that he has been raved about since arriving at campus, and he is a guy, much like Warrior, who is an asset in run support. I will go Slaughter for now, but I love the options that Tennessee has across their secondary heading into 2020.

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