The Tennessee Volunteers have one of the biggest defensive stars in the SEC, but it’s not James Pearce Jr. who could have the biggest impact on the program in 2024.

ESPN broke down the biggest x-factors for every top-25 college football team heading into the season. For the Volunteers, they broke down what makes defensive tackle Bryson Eason such a key part of the team’s defense.

“The Volunteers are expected to have one of the better defensive lines in the SEC in 2024,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote. “One player teammates and coaches have raved about since spring training is the senior Eason…Defensive line coach Rodney Garner has helped Eason transform into an interior lineman…Now 6-foot-1 and 300 pounds, Garner says Eason is just scratching the surface of the player he can be. He could be more than a complementary piece to the Vols’ more established pass rushers.”

Eason’s numbers aren’t the most illuminating for an SEC player. He has just 50 tackles and three sacks in his four seasons. However, he’s in transition to the defensive line. In high school, Eason was actually a four-star recruit at inside linebacker, despite being listed as a 270-pound high schooler.

The good news for Eason is that his production will increase significantly in 2024, at least according to Schlabach. The Volunteers will need that kind of performance to contend for an SEC championship, or at the very least a College Football Playoff appearance under head coach Josh Heupel.