Jaylen McCollough Needs To Assume Larger Role For Tennessee
The experience on defense will be a big thing for Tennessee football in 2023. But who exactly will carry the torch in getting all the returners in order with his game? The answer may come from the unlikely place of the Vols' secondary in senior defensive back Jaylen McCollough.
Now, Tennessee had one of the worse pass defenses in the SEC all of last season. They ranked in the bottom half of the league in opponents' completion percentage (12th), passing yards given up per game (12th), and even passing touchdowns given up per game (10th). They also gave up the first downs bypass per game more than any other team in the SEC by a long shot. However, most of that secondary is back and has a season to improve. A lot of showing just how good they'll be will come from the senior McCollough. In 2022, he led all defensive backs in tackling and was second on the team behind only Aaron Beasley.
Tennessee S Jaylen McCollough during the Florida game in Gainesville, Florida, on September 25, 2021. (Photo by Calvin Mattheis of the News Sentinel)
He had seven tackles (season-high) on four separate occasions. He hit this mark against LSU, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and in the Orange Bowl against Clemson. This shows that he can be a high-volume tackler and bring energy. The Tennessee secondary and defense lacked this at times throughout 2022, leading to their lop-sided finish in stats within the conference. Although he did not record any sacks this past season, McCollough has been known to get to the quarterback often to cause pressure which is a bonus for a player in the secondary. It also can be contagious for players within the front seven to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks and bear down in stopping the run game. The role McCollough may have to play for 2023 may be bigger than the Volunteers initially think. But he can easily fulfill it based on his prowess from last season.
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