KNOXVILLE – Just when it looked as if the Tennessee defense was returning to its early season form, news came Monday that the Vols will likely be without three of their regular players Saturday against Missouri.
Hours after Tennessee coach Butch Jones said there is no process that will allow him to appeal the suspension of safety Brian Randolph for the first half of the Missouri game, the program announced that star linebacker A.J. Johnson and defensive back Michael Williams are suspended from team activities.
While the team did not give a reason for the suspensions, Jones addressed an investigation into members of the football team during his weekly press conference earlier in the day, saying he’d act quickly in disciplining the involved players.
A police source informed The Tennessean that Johnson and Williams are suspects in an alleged off-campus rape of a 19-year-old woman and the sexual assault of another 19-year-old woman in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Though it would seem unlikely that the suspensions of Johnson and Williams will be overturned by Saturday, charges had not been filed as of Monday evening. Darrell DeBusk, a spokesman for the Knoxville Police Department, said that decision would eventually be made by the district attorney’s office.
Randolph’s suspension, on the other hand, stems from a targeting penalty that occurred during the win over Kentucky on Saturday. He was ejected for the hit and also must miss the first half of the next game, in accordance with NCAA rules, since the infraction came during the second half.
“It’s unfortunate,” Jones said of the Randolph suspension. “Brian wasn’t being malicious.”
Jones added that Todd Kelly Jr. will start in place of Randolph.
While the secondary will be noticeably depleted Saturday without Randolph in the first half and probably without Williams for the entire game, Johnson’s absence would send shock waves throughout the defense. He is the unit’s lifeblood, serving as one of its primary motivators and also its leading tackler.Get the Coronavirus Watch newsletter in your inbox.
Updates on how the coronavirus is affecting your community and the nationDelivery: Varies
Without Johnson at his usual post, the Vols will be far more susceptible than usual to plays over the middle of the field.
Crowder questionable: The absences might not be limited to the defensive side of the ball.
Center Mack Crowder, who suffered a high ankle sprain and a knee sprain against Kentucky, is questionable for the Missouri game (6:30 p.m. Central, ESPN, 104.5-FM).
If Crowder is unable to start, Dylan Wiesman will replace him. Marcus Jackson and Coleman Thomas can also provide depth at the center position, Jones said.
Tennessee still relishes 2013 victory over USC
Crowder injured
Tennessee offensive line making big strides amid adversity
SEC media days representatives
2014 Previews: Tennessee Volunteers
Vols Release 2013 Preseason Depth Chart
Vols search for right mix
2015 Tennessee Depth Chart – Post-Spring Projections
“86% of a student-athlete’s time is spent with your strength staff”
Tennessee Volunteers 2012 Spring Preview
The opportunity is now
Football time in Tennessee arrives early for Alliance of Women Philanthropists
Video interview of UT commitment Mack Crowder
Tennessee Football: What You Need to Know About the Vols’ Offensive Line Depth
UT Vols’ Mack Crowder questionable for Missouri game
Just Like Old Times for Tennessee High’s Brendan Downs and Mack Crowder in Orange & White Game
Mack Crowder, Brendan Downs to Make Collegiate Decision Announcements on Friday
Mack Crowder Tennessee Photos
Mack Crowder 