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Tennessee will be without a key defensive player and two wide receivers for Thursday night’s season opener against Bowling Green. Defensive end / outside linebacker Byron Young, a junior college transfer that generated a lot of buzz throughout the offseason after joining Flights in January, and the broad Jimmy calloway and Ramel keyton are not available for the opening game against the Falcons, according to a Tennessee official. Young’s issue is believed to be related to his eligibility, but according to Tennessee he is not suspended because it is not a disciplinary issue and is unrelated to the ongoing investigation. the Tennessee NCAA.
On the Tennessee depth chart released earlier this week, the 6-foot-3, 243-pound Young was put on hold as a co-starter with a sophomore. Tyler baron. Tennessee coach Josh Heupel will address Young’s situation after Thursday’s game. It’s unclear if this will be a multi-game absence or if he will return next week against Pittsburgh.
Calloway has been injured for the past few weeks and Keyton has not been included in the Tennessee Depths roster despite working with the second team offense for most of the preseason.
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Young, a native of South Carolina who worked at a Dollar General in Columbus, Ga., Before joining the Georgia Military College football team in Milledgeville after attending a trial he saw advertised on a leaflet. He competed there for the 2019 season, but his recruiting only resumed when his coaching highlights came out last fall after junior colleges postponed their season from fall to spring. Young received several offers from the SEC and eventually signed with Tennessee on Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida State and others in December.
Young was rated three-star hope and ranked No.10 overall in junior colleges and No.1 in junior college rusher in the 2021 class by 247Sports. He graduated from high school at Carvers Bay High School in Hemingway, SC in 2017. In his first season at Georgia Military College, he racked up 31 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss and seven sacks.
He was one of Tennessee’s stars in spring practice and picked up where he left off impressing teammates and coaches throughout preschool, his top speed, his strength at the point of attack and his disruptive abilities constantly displayed during training.
“He’s a guy who I think our strength staff, Coach (Kurt) Schmidt and all of our staff, did an incredible job,” said the outside linebacker coach. Mike Ekeler said after training on Aug.6. : He came here at 220 pounds. He’s 250 years old right now, and he’s faster, he’s more flexible, and he’s a lot more explosive. He’s a guy who keeps improving. He can be as good as he wants to be.
In the absence of Young, Baron will get many shots and the Vols will also appeal to the juniors Romain Harrison to play on the edge in Leo’s key spot in the Tennessee defense.
At the other defensive end, the veteran Ja’Quain Blakely was listed as the starter on the depth map with the transfer from Southern California Caleb Tremblay behind him.
Calloway’s absence will mean increased opportunity for the first year Merrill Walker at the slot receiver, while Keyton’s absence could mean more shots for the junior college transfer Andison Coby.
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