Juwan Mitchell, a former Texas LB, ‘proud’ of Longhorns for following him to SEC
By Jake Rill
Published:
After two years at Texas, Juwan Mitchell transferred to Tennessee for a fresh start. Now, the senior linebacker will look to help lead the Vols’ defense in 2021.
When Mitchell made that decision, he had no idea that the Longhorns would soon make a similar choice themselves.
Texas, along with Oklahoma, is scheduled to join the SEC in 2025, which will add another pair of strong programs to the conference. And Mitchell isn’t surprised that the Longhorns are making the jump over from the Big 12.
“I’m proud of them,” Mitchell said last Thursday, according to Patrick Brown of 247Sports.com. “They should [join the SEC]. They want to come over here just like I do. There’s a lot of talent at Texas and one of the reasons, I’m showing it as well, that we can ball as well, so them coming over, it’ll definitely help them a lot, to get drafted where they need to and play on a national level.”
Mitchell began his college career at Butler Community College, before heading to Texas for the start of the 2019 season. He played 21 games and made 13 starts over two years with the Longhorns, recording 101 tackles and 3 sacks.
With Tennessee losing some key players due to transfers, Mitchell has an opportunity to come in and make a big impact for the Vols this season.
“I really picked Tennessee because of the coaching staff, the conference,” Mitchell said, per Brown. “A lot went into it, but the transition’s been smooth. I love the versatility of how offenses are ran [in the SEC], I’ve been watching some film. I pretty much look at the SEC as the Big 12 and Big Ten combined.”
Mitchell and the Vols are set to open the season on Sept. 2, when they host Bowling Green at 8 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
