Analysis: Vols Land Disruptive Force in JUCO Edge Rusher
The first day of the Early Signing Period has been a busy one for the Vols. Despite the changes that COVID-19 has had on the landscape of college football this year, the season has gone on for the most part, though that meant a late start and a later finish. As a result, teams are set to sign players while the regular season is still ongoing. It has been a day that has seen massive activity across the country, mostly with players signing where they were committed or flipping to different schools. However the Vols made news with a new commitment coming through in Georgia Military College (JUCO) linebacker Byron Young.
It is no secret that the Vols have struggled in the 2020 season to rush the passer. The Vols have used multiple personnel packages at linebacker this season, and with a game against Texas A&M remaining, the Vols have still yet to find an effective base four-man group. The Vols have had trouble finding a starter inside next to Henry To’oto’o, and they have had difficulty filling the edge rushing outside linebacker positions, partially due to the need to try young players inside. Young should provide an immediate presence on the edge for the Vols. Young arrives at 6’3” and 250 pounds leaving the JUCO ranks. His size and strength mean that he should be physically prepared to make an immediate impact on the edge for Tennessee. Young has three years of eligibility remaining, and the imposing size he brings paired with several years of eligibility mean he has time to make an impact and to grow in the Tennessee defense.
On film, Young plays angry. Not dirty or sloppy, but angry. There is an attitude and edge to the way he plays the game. He explodes into blockers and delivers heavy blows to running backs. Everything that Young does, he does with bad intentions. As skilled and physically blessed as Young is, the fact that he plays hateful looking to punish players on offense is what shows up the most on film. He doesn’t just beat blockers, he drives them back and puts them on their back. He doesn’t just tackle running backs, he arrives with a little something extra, he ends wrap-up tackles with a snap that slams ball carriers to the ground. Again, the tackles and hits are clean and disciplined with good technique, they are just given that little bit extra to punish ball carriers and make them think twice. It is the kind of hard nosed and aggressive attitude that defensive coaches love to see in their linebackers, especially one as physically imposing as Young is.
Young is a player that was lined up all over the field in high school and In JUCO. He played snaps at defensive tackle, defensive end, and outside linebacker. While the versatility is prized, Young should be playing as an outside linebacker in Tennessee’s 3-4 defense. It is also possible that when the Vols go into a four-man front that often happens in sub packages, that Young will play with his hand in the dirt. Whether Young is in a two or three-point stance, his primary task in the Tennessee defense will be to pin his ears back and get after the quarterback. The Vols have needed a consistent top pass rusher all season, and it is very possible that Young finds himself immediately in that role. Young is a complete edge player with a wide assortment of tools to choose from. He is capable of simply bull rushing offensive tackles, getting under them and using his impressive strength to drive them back. Young uses his hands very well, and he can rip through the punch of an offensive tackle with his strength to work inside and pure speed to go outside. As a pass rusher, Young brings the size and skills to threaten offensive tackles in every way possible. Against the run, Young reads his keys well, flows to the football, has the strength to power through or blow up blocks, and get to the running back. Young, even when lined up on the defensive line, runs, pursues, and moves like a linebacker. He arrives at ball carriers with explosion and wraps up, a punishing but sure tackler. Adjusting to coverage will likely be the greatest challenge facing Young, but he has the physical skills to cover in space, and his primary job will be to get into the opposing backfield.
The Vols have been successful in landing JUCO recruits they targeted under Jeremy Pruitt, and several of them have gone on to have success on the field for Tennessee. Shelton Felton helped to close the recruitment of Young out, and it is likely Joe Osovet was an asset in this recruitment as well. Young provides Tennessee with a player physically ready to step in and play immediately. He also fills a position of immediate need on the field, giving the Vols a large bodied edge defender capable of disrupting the run game and pressuring the quarterback. Young is a destructive player on film that makes impressive plays with clean technique, impressive physical ability, and high football IQ. Young is able to attack an offense in so many ways at some many angles, it makes him extremely difficult to account for. Young chose Tennessee over offers from Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, Texas, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Missouri, and South Carolina among others.
