Although rated as the top-ranked JC prospect a year ago, Tennessee defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo still has a lot to learn.

While not considered “raw” by football standards, there’s certainly room for improvement when it comes to polishing his skill-set as a pass rusher. Kongbo also didn’t start playing football until his senior year of high school.

Speaking on the weekly radio show Vol Calls, Kongbo spoke about the transition form Arizona Western College to high-level SEC football — and what it has taken to become more comfortable on the field:

“It definitely did (slow down),” Kongbo said. “I had an extra week to really look over the playbook. I think what really confused me was in that the first game having to know the defensive tackle position and defensive end and all the drops, but I sat down with Coach Strip throughout the week and just went over the plays. The second game went much smoother.”

At this point, the sky’s the proverbial limit for Kongbo. As he gets more acclimated to the college game, he’ll (theoretically) think less and react more. Head coach Butch Jones is also very bullish on Kongbo’s future:

“He’s a great player, and he’s just gonna get nothing but better. He’s come in, and, a lot of times with a junior college player, you have to teach them how to play hard and with effort and strain, and we’ve not had to do that with him. He has tremendous instincts for the football, and he’s very, very explosive. He’s just been a great addition to our family. Love him.”