Tennessee Vol responds to running gag from the win over Auburn, but he's probably not wrong

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Nate Ament guffawed and hee-hawed at the press conference table alongside teammate DeWayne Brown II after the Vols’ 77-69 win over Auburn on Saturday night. Asked by a reporter his thoughts on Tigers head coach Steven Pearl saying Jaylen Carey and Brown were like a pair of SEC defensive ends, that struck the Vols’ superstar in a very funny way.

“Nah, it’s really true,” Ament said while laughing. “In practice when I’m playing the four, I’ve got to guard him (Brown) and stuff like that. It’s tough, man. He’s just (laughs). Yeah, it’s true. It’s true.”

Well, it may not be a completely laughing matter, even though it brought a grin out of Carey on Monday during his media availability. He was asked about Pearl’s comments about him being like an SEC defensive end, and he admitted he perhaps could be a defensive end.

Tennessee F Jaylen Carey, whose father played college football for Miami, says he could play defensive end

“Yeah, we probably could go out there and play defensive end, but we love basketball,” Carey said with a grin. “So, it was cool.”

Pearl mentioned after the game that Tennessee “punked” the Tigers, and he compared the Vols’ forwards to a pair of SEC defensive ends.

“They look like two SEC defensive ends out there that were just ducking in, and [we] just weren’t able to get around [them],” said Pearl. “And they draw fouls. In the moment, when they draw a foul, you don’t think it’s a big deal. But then they get into the bonus quickly.”

Well, Carey has the physical tools and the genetics to do it. His father, Vernon, played college football for the University of Miami and won a national championship in 2001 as a starting offensive lineman for the Hurricanes. He would go on to cement himself as a starting offensive lineman for the Dolphins over an eight-year career in Miami.

The Vols’ Carey certainly has the frame to play football. At 6’8, 267 pounds and with the wingspan that looks like a Condor, he certainly has what you’d want as far as the physical features of a defensive end.

Josh Heupel probably isn’t knocking on Rick Barnes’ door anytime soon. After all, making the jump from the hardwood to the gridiron isn’t that easy. But if anyone would be physically able to do it, you’d be hard pressed to find someone more suited for it than Carey.

Related: ESPN leaves no doubt about their view of Tennessee CB Colton Hood after Senior Bowl

This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the Nashville section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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