UT position analysis: Linebackers Chavis: This group is big on talent

He said his 2006 crop of linebackers had the talent to be as good and possibly better than the veteran group of 2005 seniors.

Chavis was asked if he could repeat that one more time -- in case it was misinterpreted -- and there it was again.

After spring practice, a lot of people were convinced.

"Are they as good as players at this point right now? Probably not," Chavis said. "But talent wise, there's no question."

Kevin Simon (drafted by the Washington Redskins), Omar Gaither (drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles), Jason Mitchell and Jon Poe had used up their eligibility.

In their place was a group of guys with three total collegiate starts among them: two for Marvin Mitchell and one for Jerod Mayo.

Experience might be lacking, but ability isn't something Chavis is worried about going into fall drills. It's just a matter of plugging the right guys into the right slots.

Mitchell is the lone senior in the group.

He's not going to wow many people with a lot of flash and bravado, but he was solid this spring.

Mitchell still is expected to be a leader at middle linebacker despite an offseason suspension resulting from a confrontation at a Cumberland Avenue convenience store.

James Turner and Andre Mathis provide depth in the middle.

Ryan Karl, a junior from Nashville, might have the most playing experience of any returning linebacker. Again, he's not flashy, but Karl has good instincts and the kind of hard-nosed work ethic coaches love.

He was tagged in the spring as a potential starter on the strong side.

Mayo could be the player who eventually lands the strongside starting duties. He spent most of the spring rehabbing from a knee injury suffered last season.

"But he should be back in form and he's a former starter," Chavis said.

Chavis didn't make any promises who his three starters would be, but if Rico McCoy's spring is any indication it's going to be hard to keep him out of the lineup.

McCoy, a redshirt freshman from Washington, D.C., returned from foot surgery and immediately made an impact as one of the most active players on the field in scrimmages and the Orange and White game.

"McCoy's a heck of a football player," head coach Phillip Fulmer said. "He would have played a lot for us last year had he not been injured."

Sophomore Ellix Wilson garnered the praise of coaches and was tagged as the weakside starter after spring practice.

He missed all of 2005 with a knee injury suffered in spring practice.

Adam Myers-White, another sophomore who converted from defensive back to linebacker, came on quicker than a lot of people expected at strongside linebacker.

"Defensively, we had a really good spring," Fulmer said. "We closed a lot of ground in some areas, but we can't possibly be as experienced as we were last year in the linebacking corps.

"But guys like Ellix Wilson, Adam Myers-White and Rico McCoy are really doing well."

They're just so young.

"Are they going to make some mistakes along the way? Yeah, that's part of growing and learning to play the game," Chavis said. "We've just got to keep those to a minimum.

"But we've got a lot of talent and I'm excited about that group. If we can keep them healthy, we'll certainly be as good as we've been. There's no doubt in my mind."

Outlook: They won't have the leadership of Simon or Gaither, but don't sell this unit short.

McCoy, Mayo and Myers-White could be a triple threat of budding stars.

Mitchell has to forget about his off-field incident and solidify himself as a team leader in the middle.

Karl will be a fan favorite with his hustle and attitude, whether he starts or fills in the fourth linebacker spot.