In exactly one season, the Tennessee secondary has gone from a gigantic question mark to a legitimate strength of the program. You really shouldn’t be surprised by that, considering the track record of defensive back whiz Jeremy Pruitt.
In 2018, Pruitt walked into a situation that saw Tennessee lose four defensive backs with no clear plan for succession. To make matters worse, Pruitt didn’t get started on his initial Tennessee recruiting class until early December. While that first class patched up a few holes, it didn’t really address the cornerback spot — which is why Pruitt had to get creative.