With Daevin Hobbs injured, who could step up on Tennessee football defensive line?
Daevin Hobbs is expected to miss time with a foot injury, according to Volquest. Coach Josh Heupel outlined who could step up for Tennessee football.
A pair of Tennessee football freshman defensive tackles will be relied upon more with junior Daevin Hobbs sidelined with an injury.
Vols coach Josh Heupel pointed to first-year linemen Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley as players who can help the Vols fill Hobbs' role an expected key contributor in the middle of the defensive line.
“Those guys have done a really good job," Heupel said on Aug. 19. "You look at where they were in January when they got here, the players that they were in spring ball and then the growth of what they are doing here in training camp. ... Both those guys continue to grow in a really good way.”
Volquest reported Hobbs missed Tennessee's scrimmage on Aug. 15 with a foot injury that is expected to sideline him for multiple weeks.
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound Hobbs is one of Tennessee's top three defensive tackles. Senior Bryson Eason is a returning starter, while senior Jaxson Moi could be the second starter.
Hobbs had 20 tackles including 2½ tackles for loss and a sack in 2024 as a sophomore. He has played in 23 games in his first two seasons. The former four-star recruit in the 2023 class has dealt with shoulder injuries in his career.
Campbell and Utley were two of Tennessee's three highest-rated defensive recruits in the 2025 class.
Campbell is a 6-4, 282-pound defensive lineman from Southern High in Durham, North Carolina. He decommitted from Clemson then picked UT over North Carolina. Heupel praised him for having "strong explosive power" on the interior defensive line.
Utley is a 6-3, 270-pound defensive lineman from Ensworth in Nashville. Heupel said Utley is explosive and plays "twitchy at the line of scrimmage."
Tennessee opens the season against Syracuse in Atlanta on Aug. 30 (noon ET, ABC) in the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Daevin Hobbs injury: Josh Heupel on Tennessee football defensive line
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