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Barnes: Felix Okpara Brings Tennessee A Physicality They 'Haven't Consistently Had' | Rocky Top Insider

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2 years ago

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Barnes: Felix Okpara Brings Tennessee A Physicality They 'Haven't Consistently Had' | Rocky Top Insider


Photo via Ohio State Athletics

Tennessee basketball lost four players to the transfer portal this offseason with by far the most noteworthy losses being big men Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka.

While both were significant losses, the Vols have a strong plan to replace them. Rick Barnes and his coaching staff are high on rising sophomore power forward JP Estrella and the Maine native will step into a bigger role next season.

Then Tennessee went out and landed a near consensus top 50 player in the transfer portal— Ohio State center Felix Okpara.

A rising junior, Okpara started 34 games for Ohio State last season and is one of the best defensive big men in the entire country— let alone the transfer portal.

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“He brings us a physicality that we love to have and haven’t consistently had there,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes at the Big Orange Caravan last week. “I think with what we’ve seen and what we evaluated, I think he’s got some untapped ability there offensively. He runs, he’s strong and being around him, he impressed me with the fact that he’s got a really competitive edge about him that’s going to fit in well with our guys.”

Okpara blocked 83 shots last season and was one of just five players in the country that blocked over 80 shots last season. The 6-foot-11 center posted a 10.25% block rate last season, a mark that ranked 18th nationally.

More From RTI: How Felix Okpara Compares To Jonas Aidoo And Tobe Awaka

Aidoo was also a strong rim protector against driving big men but was to slender to successful defend physical low post scorers. Awaka had the physicality to defend low post scorers but was frequently in foul trouble. He was average at protecting the rim against driving guards.

Okpara’s skillset on the defensive end is a blend of the outgoing transfers with length to protect the rim and better defensive strength.

Playing 23.6 minutes per game, Okpara averaged 6.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He has a physicality around the rim that makes him effective defensively and as a rebounder and low post finisher.

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“He’s like a lot of guys his size,” Barnes said. “He’s just kind of scratching the surface in terms of where he can be, but he showed us that he can do a lot and we’re going to try and not put him in a box and get him to do maybe more than he might think he can.”

Okpara is still very raw offensively and was mostly a dunker and lob threat as a sophomore at Ohio State. He didn’t attempt jump shots and was not effective as a back to the basket scorer.

Discussing his commitment with RTI, Okpara discussed his desire to round out his offensive game. Barnes echoed that same sentiment while discussing the 6-foot-11 center.



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Tennessee

Vols Make Splash Hire With Jim Knowles | VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Tennessee Football | The RTI Low Down | Rocky Top Insider

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5 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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Vols Make Splash Hire With Jim Knowles | VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Tennessee Football | The RTI Low Down | Rocky Top Insider


RTI Low-Down
The RTI Low-Down with Bob Baskerville and Chris Low. Episodes are available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify platforms.

On this week’s episode of The RTI Low Down, Bob Baskerville and Chris Low are diving into a huge week for the Tennessee Football program.

The guys start the show by discussing the Vols’ big move to fire Tim Banks and the splash hire in acquiring defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Bob and Chris are then joined by VFL and SEC Legend Kevin Burnett to talk about his time on Rocky Top, his thoughts on playing under defensive coordinators, Josh Heupel’s current team, and more.

The guys close down the show by breaking down Tennessee’s 2026 schedule, Vol Hoops’ tough test on the hardwood this week, and much more. Download and subscribe TODAY!

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The RTI Low-Down is brought to you by the Tate Insurance Group. Find out more information at www.tateinsurancegroup.com

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More from RTI: Tennessee Football 2025 Transfer Tracker – Who has Announced They’re Entering the Portal So Far

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0:00 Intro
8:30 Tennessee Fires Tim Banks, Hires Jim Knowles
21:25 VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Vol Football!
43:20 UT 2026 Schedule
50:17 Tennessee Basketball Faces Huge Test on Tuesday
1:01:06 Close



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Remembering one of Middle Tennessee’s largest tornado outbreaks 4 years later

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18 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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Remembering one of Middle Tennessee’s largest tornado outbreaks 4 years later


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Four years ago, Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky were impacted by one of the largest tornado outbreaks on record. On Dec. 10 and 11, 2021, a tornado outbreak impacted areas from Arkansas and Missouri all the way into northern Indiana and Ohio. There was a total of 66 tornadoes; 16 of […]



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Tracking Music City Bowl opt outs for Tennessee and Illinois

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1 day ago

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December 13, 2025

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Tracking Music City Bowl opt outs for Tennessee and Illinois


Tracking the opt outs for both Tennessee and Illinois before the Music City Bowl on December 30 (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville:

Tennessee

Linebacker Arion Carter: Carter over the last seasons had 96 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 31 career games. He had a team-high 76 tackles this season, with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while appearing in 10 games. He missed two games and was limited against Oklahoma in November while dealing with turf toe injuries. Carter had 68 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games last season and 17 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in eight games as a freshman in 2023. 

Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II: He a breakout senior season in his second year with the Vols, catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 19 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, after transferring from Tulane. In 15 games at Tulane he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Brazzell is ranked No. 7 at wide receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft Big Board. He’s ranked No. 34 overall on ESPN’s list of the best available prospects in the draft.

Cornerback Jermod McCoy: Did not play this season after tearing his ACL during offseason training in January. He was a star last season with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee. 

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Illinois

Offensive Tackle J.C. Davis: Bret Bielema said the Illinois starting left tackle is opting out of the Music City Bowl. He was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the league coaches this season and the No. 3 left tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus grades. He had made 49 straight starts before opting out of the bowl game.

EDGE Gabe Jacas: The Illinois outside linebacker declared for the NFL Draft on Friday night. He led the Big Ten this season with 11.0 sacks. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles in 12 games this season. He finishes second in Illinois program history for career sacks, with 27.0, trailing only Simeon Rice. Jacas had 74 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss last season, after combining for 8.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons at Illinois.



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