National media outlet says one thing is keeping Tennessee from having the best defensive line in college football in 2024

If the Tennessee Vols are going to reach the College Football Playoff in 2024, they'll need to control the line of scrimmage during the regular season.

The good news for the Vols is that the program has an experienced offensive line (though depth is a concern) and a potentially dominant defensive line.

The defensive line, specifically, has a chance to be special this fall. Tennessee has arguably the best player in the nation in edge rusher James Pearce, along with a talented group of experienced defensive linemen.

247Sports thinks highly of the Tennessee Vols' defensive line in 2024

247Sports recently ranked the top 10 defensive lines in college football ahead of the 2024 season and they have the Vols' defensive line at No. 3 in the nation, behind Ohio State and Michigan.

Interestingly, 247Sports' Blake Brockermeyer suggested that if Tennessee had been able to keep defensive lineman Tyler Baron on the roster (Baron transferred to Miami this offseason after brief stops at Ole Miss and Louisville), then the Vols would have the best defensive line in the sport

From 247Sports : This is the best defensive line Tennessee has had in years and should be the strength of their team, which also will make their back end better. It's a shame they didn't put up a bigger fight as Tyler Barron left — and by fight we mean NIL bag — or this would be the best defensive line in the country .

Tennessee could still have the best defensive line in the nation even without Baron, but we'll just have to see how the season plays out before that declaration can be made.

Still, it's a fair comment from Brockermeyer. Baron, who had a career-high six sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss for the Vols in 2023, is expected to be selected in the first few rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft next spring. Tennessee's defensive line is still elite without Baron, but there's no doubt that the former Knoxville Catholic standout would've made the Vols' defensive line even more dangerous (and provided even more depth) in 2024.

But at the same time, you can't blame Tennessee for not throwing cash at Baron to keep him in Knoxville. It's not that Baron isn't "worth it" (he's a future NFL player...he could help any team in the nation), but there are only so many NIL battles that a program can fight/win.

Related: Former Vols QB details wild season that includes Peyton Manning, Morgan Wallen, and running from autograph seekers with Hendon Hooker