LEO
1. (27) James Pearce Jr. (Jr., 6-5/243) OR (19) Joshua Josephs (Jr., 6-3/245) OR (31) Caleb Herring (Soph., 6-5/249) OR (29) Jordan Ross (Fr., 6-5/245)

Defensive tackle
1. (21) Omari Thomas (Sr.*, 6-4/325) OR (10) Elijah Simmons (R-Sr.*, 6-2/340) OR (51) Jaxson Moi (Jr., 6-2/307)

Defensive tackle
1. (20) Bryson Eason (R-Sr., 6-3/310) OR (55) Omarr Norman-Lott (Sr., 6-3/315) OR (53) Daevin Hobbs (Soph., 6-4/300)

Defensive end
1. (90) Dominic Bailey (R-Sr., 6-3/292) OR (42) Tyre West (Jr., 6-3/290) OR (97) Jayson Jenkins (R-Soph., 6-6/281) OR (18) Tyree Weathersby (R-Fr., 6-5/272)

Tennessee showed off its remarkable depth on the defensive line by rolling through three groups in the first half of the opener. The starting lineup of Pearce (10 snaps), Thomas (15), Eason (15) and Bailey (16) quickly gave way to the second lineup of Josephs (15), Norman-Lott (14), Simmons (14) and West (16) and the third with Herring (20), Moi (16), Hobbs (16) and Jenkins (13). The Vols didn’t reveal the preferred lineup for their third-down pass-rush package, so that could debut this week.

Ross, who blocked a punt for a touchdown and had a tackle for loss, and Weathersby each were part of an eight-snap lineup including redshirt freshman Nathan Robinson and junior college transfer Jamal Wallace at defensive tackle, and freshmen Carson Gentle and Kellen Lindstrom also got some playing time.

The depth and Pearce’s presence might get all the attention, but the Vols also are benefiting from their mixture of experienced veterans and talented up-and-comers on their defensive line.

“Every single day I’ve got Omarr and Bryson working three-tech (defensive tackle),” said sophomore Hobbs. “Every single time they’re on the field, I’m always watching them to see what they do, because they’re two of the best three-techs in college football in my opinion. So them in my room, I can just watch them, learn off them. They do a good job of teaching me. Whatever they see, they come tell me, so just learning off them.

“Then I would say someone else that’s impressed me, I mean … a lot of our young guys like Tyree Weathersby, Caleb Herring, Jordan Ross, Nathan Robinson, all of them. We’re all putting in all this work and watching all the older guys do it, so now we’re doing better and better and good and good, so now we’re getting good. It’s exciting to see.”