Tennessee linebacker Kwauze Garland will miss the entirety of the 2023 football season due to injury, Vols head coach Josh Heupel said Tuesday.

Garland is entering his 5th year in college football with the Vols. He’s appeared in 18 games as a reserve LB, totaling 3 tackles across that time. He was sidelined for most of last season with an injury.

Here’s what Heupel said concerning Garland Tuesday:

“There’s one guy that won’t be with us this fall, (Kwauze) “Pakk” Garland,” Heupel said. “Just from the injury last fall he hasn’t gotten himself in a position where he’s cleared. It’s not because he hasn’t been putting in the work it’s just him and the process he’s had to go through with that injury. He’ll be a part of our program but won’t be playing this fall.”

Thankfully for Tennessee fans, Heupel did not report any more serious injuries heading into fall camp.

Perhaps no position on defense is as set as linebacker currently is for Tennessee. There are some questions about the D-line’s starters and a few chess pieces to move before finalizing a starting 5 in the secondary, but Aaron Beasley and BYU transfer Keenan Pili with Roman Harrison as a weakside LB seem to be Tennessee’s main 3 heading into fall camp.

There’s strong depth there, too. Arion Carter, Joshua Josephs and Elijah Herring are likely to make their own impacts with the Vols in 2023.