Jonathan Kongbo has preferred to play on the edge since arriving at Tennessee, and initial efforts from previous head coach Butch Jones and his staff to play Kongo at defensive tackle were met with stiff resistance.

Kongbo initially got slotted inside — at 3-4 defensive end — in new coach Jeremy Pruitt’s defense heading into spring camp, but he was moved to outside linebacker heading into the summer, and he’s still in that spot midway through preseason camp.

Anyone suspecting Kongbo approached Pruitt about the move could be forgiven, but the big Congo native insisted otherwise Thursday afternoon.

To hear Kongbo tell it, the move back to the edge was his new coach’s idea.

“I mean, honestly, Coach Pruitt just asked me,” Kongbo told reporters gathered inside Tennessee’s Ray and Lucy Hand Digital Studio. “He thought it better suited me and my type of body, and I told him from the moment he got here that I was willing to do anything he wanted me to do. Initially for the spring he wanted me to play defensive line. He thought I could be pretty good at it. It went pretty well, and I had a lot of fun at it.

“But after spring, just assessing things, he said he liked me outside.”

Kongbo once packed approximately 280 pounds on his chiseled, 6-foot-6 frame, but he was listed at 254 pounds heading into preseason camp and claims he’s now down to 250 pounds.

Regardless, the nation’s No. 1 overall junior college prospect in the 2016 industry-generated 247Sports Composite is definitely slimmer these days. And he claims to feel like a new man — or at least the kind of man he hasn’t felt like in a while.

Tennessee senior linebacker Jonathan Kongbo

“It’s been good,” he said. “I feel l like I’m back doing a lot of things I’m naturally good at, so it’s been a good transition so far. … Just coming off the edge, just the ability to move in space — it’s kind of a lot of the things I was good at coming here. I think they’ve really honed up those skills.”

Kongo claims to “love” Pruitt, defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker and his new position coach — outside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Chris Rumph.

In short, Kongbo said football has become “fun” again. He said he’s spending more time on the game than he has in the past, but that it’s become a genuine labor of love, and that he’s “more equipped” than he’s ever been as a football player.

“Honestly, I’m having a blast,” Kongbo said. “I’m living my best life, man. I’m living my best life.”

Kongbo’s Tennessee career hasn’t gone the way anyone expected. Flashes of potential have emerged at various points, but consistency and overall production have left plenty to be desired, and he claims to know that better than anyone. He’s played 24 games for the Vols the past two seasons, and he has just 40 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, one pass defended and one interception — albeit an interception he returned 56 yards for a touchdown — to show for it.

A fresh start under a new coaching staff and a move back to his preferred position has given Kongbo a boost heading into his senior season, though, and he aims to pay back that Karma in spades.

“I don’t have a [complete] feel yet, but I can play D-tackle, you guys know that, and I can play D-end, and obviously now I can play outside linebacker,” Kongbo said. “Anything and everything they need me to do, I’m willing to do it. … For me, personally, there’s no pressure. You know, if you know you can ball, you can ball.

“Right now it’s just time to execute. That’s the biggest thing.”