Vols Freshman DB Becoming More of A Factor Coming Off Of Injury, Jeremy Pruitt Provides Update

Vols Freshman DB Becoming More of A Factor Coming Off Of Injury, Jeremy Pruitt Provides Update

Tamarion McDonald came to Tennessee's campus as part of the coveted "Whitehaven Trio" consisting of Martavius French, Bryson Eason, and himself. The group all committed to Tennessee on the same day last October. While Eason and French both projected as linebackers, McDonald's versatility made him an intriguing piece of Tennessee's 2020 class. However, after arriving on campus, it was discovered that McDonald had a torn labrum that would require surgery. VR2 on SI reported the news, prior to Jeremy Pruitt saying at the first of camp that McDonald would likely redshirt.

Now, the NCAA has eliminated eligibility for participation in this season, and McDonald has recovered from his shoulder surgery, and he continues to come on strong.

In fact, he has found his way onto the field the last several weeks, including making two tackles last weekend against Arkansas.

As Tennessee continues to struggle in the secondary, McDonald could become a factor down the home stretch of this season. Jeremy Pruitt said on him during Wednesday's SEC teleconference, "He had a very unusual circumstance. When he came in, we obviously found he had a previous injury to his shoulder. Based off at the time in June, not knowing if we would play, we definitely went ahead and did the surgery knowing he would probably miss four straight months. He’s come back and taken advantage of the opportunities presented to him. The next three days with us not having an opponent this week, just basic fundamentals of coverage is big for him because he missed out on all this stuff back during this summer and fall camp. He’s a guy that has size, speed, and instincts, and he’s a smart kid. He’s going to continue to grow and develop to be a good player.”

Bringing along all of their younger players is something Tennessee is hoping to do over the next few weeks. Pruitt said the Vols held a special period for them during Tuesday's practice. "We went like 40 plays with our younger players yesterday at the end of practice. It’s something we definitely will continue to do for the rest of this season."

McDonald has made five tackles over three games, so it will be interesting to see how he continues to develop as Tennessee finishes out the 2020 season.