ESPN names surprising 'X-factor' for the Tennessee Vols in 2024

Ahead of the 2024 season, ESPN picked an "X-factor" for each college football team in their preseason top 25 rankings.

And their choice for the Tennessee Vols was a bit unexpected.

Instead of going with a transfer addition -- like wide receiver Chris Brazzell or one of the new additions to the secondary -- or even a young player like true freshman wide receiver Mike Matthews or true freshman defensive back Boo Carter -- ESPN went with redshirt senior defensive lineman Bryson Eason.

From ESPN : The Volunteers figure to have one of the better defensive lines in the SEC in 2024 with James Pearce Jr., Elijah Simmons, Omari Thomas, Omarr Norman-Lott and others coming back. One player that teammates and coaches have raved about since spring practice is senior Eason. The Memphis native arrived at UT as an oversized inside linebacker. He moved to defensive end and kept growing. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has helped transform Eason into an interior lineman, and Eason had a career-high 27 tackles, 4 quarterback hurries and 5 tackles for loss in 13 games in 2023. Now 6-foot-3 and 303 pounds, Garner says Eason is just scratching the surface of the player he can be. He could be more than a complementary player to the Vols' more established pass-rushers.

Eason had his best season at Tennessee in 2023, totaling 27 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Earlier this spring, Vols defensive line coach Rodney Garner praised Eason for "starting to grow up".

"Bryson is starting to grow up," said Garner in March. "He's always been a very talented individual. I think what speaks volumes, the last practice, Bryson was voted by the staff as the 'energy giver' of the day. Three years ago, nobody would have ever said Bryson Eason was an energy giver. It's not that he's a rah-rah, cheerleader type. The way he has been practicing the first four days of camp, the energy that he's bringing, the juice that he's bringing, the attention to detail that he's bringing, I'm hoping and thinking that maybe the light is coming on, and that hopefully he's going to take that next step. It'll be good for Tennessee. And it'll be good for Bryson."

Eason is a player with NFL talent. If the Memphis native can reach his ceiling in 2024, it'll go a long way in helping Tennessee's defensive line become one of the most dominant units in the SEC.

Related: Tennessee Vols QB Nico Iamaleava working with a QB guru during the offseason that's worked with some big NFL names