Tennessee defensive coordinator John Jancek said Tuesday that freshman Austin Smith will take over as the Vols’ strongside linebacker with senior defensive end/linebacker Curt Maggitt sidelined because of a hip injury.

Head coach Butch Jones said Monday that Maggitt would miss “an extended period of time” after suffering a hip injury during the second half of Tennessee’s 31-24 double overtime loss to Oklahoma.

Jancek said Smith, who has played mostly on special teams in Tennessee’s first two games, will replace Maggitt as the Vols’ primary Sam linebacker going into Saturday’s home game against Western Carolina, with sophomore Colton Jumper —Â who started at middle linebacker in Tennessee’s first two games —Â serving as Smith’s backup.

“We’ll play with Austin, and Jump’ will be the backup there,” Jancek said following UT’s practice Tuesday afternoon at Haslam Field.

Smith, a former three-star prospect from Buford (Ga.) High School, has earned the opportunity to fill in for Maggitt, Jancek said, by doing “some really good things throughout camp.”

“He’s going to make mistakes, but he’s a good football player,” Jancek said. “He just needs time to develop and get ready, and that’s what we plan on doing.”

Maggitt, who led the Vols with 11 sacks last season, primarily plays defensive end in the nickel packages Tennessee most frequently uses and shifts to strongside linebacker when the Vols move to their 4-3 base defense.

With Maggitt sidelined, Jancek said the available playing time at defensive end will be divided between junior Corey Vereen, true freshman Kyle Phillips and sophomore Dimarya Mixon.

“We’ve got Corey, Kyle, Mixon. All those guys will get some time in there,” Jancek said. “In today’s game, you have to roll a lot of players in. Who gets the first four reps and who gets the second four reps, basically, is how it works itself out. We’ll roll those guys in throughout the week.”

Jones on Monday pointed to Phillips, a former five-star prospect from Hillsboro High School in Nashville, Tenn., as one of the players who would be asked to pick up the slack at defensive end in Maggitt’s absence.

Phillips didn’t play against Oklahoma after briefly appearing in Tennessee’s season-opening win Sept. 5 against Bowling Green.

“Kyle’s done a good job,” Jancek said. “He’s a really smart player. He’s a fine young man. He works hard. He’s got a lot of ability. We’re going to roll him in and see what happens.”

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