According to VolQuest, Tennessee defensive tackle Montori Hughes is no longer with the team. Hughes had been suspended both back in January and for the beginning of spring practice, and he was apparently involved in some sort of "dorm room incident" at some point as well. On top of all of that, there were academic issues and the fact that Hughes hadn't exactly lived up to expectations on the field. VolQuest says, though, that grades are not the primary reason Hughes is gone. Consider it a bunch of things, I guess.
This isn't a huge shock, but it is Not Good News. At 6'3" and 327 pounds, Hughes was really one of the only defensive tackle-sized defensive tackles the team had with any experience, with the possible exception of incoming junior college transfer Maurice Couch. Tennessee still has Malik Jackson, but he's more the size and shape of a defensive end at 6'5" and 270 pounds. Still, he'll likely be at DT along with Couch and Daniel Hood, who's 6'4" and 293 and recently moved to the DL from the OL. Also in the mix, most likely for backing up the position, are Arthur Jeffery, Joseph Ayres, and newcomers Greg Clark, Allan Carson, and Travarris Saulsberry. Some of the new guys are the right size and shape, but they're new, you know?
On the heels of the news that LB Herman Lathers will miss at least a portion of the season with a broken ankle and that Greg King has had surgery (although he's expected back for two-a-days), Tennessee's defense is taking it on the chin. Good thing we have 50 DBs on the roster. Justin Wilcox may just be the first defensive coordinator to exclusively employ a Gnat defense.