National media outlet ranks the best defensive lines in college football; where the Tennessee Vols rank

On3 ranked the top 10 defensive lines in college football this week and the Tennessee Vols, unsurprisingly, were one of the teams included.

Tennessee's defensive line ranks as the ninth best in college football according to On3 .

From On3 : The Vols have the nation’s best pass rusher in junior James Pearce, a potential Top 5 NFL Draft pick next April. Pearce had 10 sacks and a 19% pressure rate — which was No. 3 nationally among all rushers per PFF. They also return senior tackle Omari Thomas, senior end Bryson Eason, senior Elijah Simmons, senior Dominic Bailey and senior Omarr Norman-Lott, a former Arizona State transfer who flashed in a reserve role in 2023.

That’s a boatload of experience for an SEC defensive line, especially a unit coached by the venerable Rodney Garner and one that has intriguing backups like Jordan Ross and Daevin Hobbs.

Tennessee's defensive line is expected to be one of the Vols' biggest strengths in 2024.

The Vols return a ton of experience along their defensive line, plus they have an elite pass rusher in James Pearce. The double teams that Pearce will inevitably receive this fall should lead to more opportunities for the rest of Tennessee's defensive line.

There's an argument to be made that Tennessee's defensive line should be raked higher than No. 9. The likely reason, though, that UT's defensive line isn't ranked higher is because it's a position that's not ripe with "big names" (outside of Pearce). Tennessee's defensive line is a major strength in large part because of the elite depth that the program has built in recent years.

Despite the ranking from On3, Tennessee's defensive line has a legitimate chance to be a top three unit in the nation in 2024.

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