Tennessee just can’t escape the injury bug.
Vols coach Butch Jones confirmed Tuesday that both senior linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and sophomore defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie are both out for the rest of the season. Reeves-Maybin has been out for the past month, but came to the decision to have season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder.
Reeves-Maybin led the team with 105 tackles in 2015 and 101 tackles in 2014.
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McKenzie made his first career start Saturday against Alabama, but left early in the first quarter with a pectoral injury. He indicated on Twitter that he’d be out for the year, and Jones confirmed the news Monday. McKenzie totaled 12 tackles total this season.
On the offense, multiple reports emerged Monday indicating that running back Alvin Kamara injured his knee in the loss to the Crimson Tide. Speculation on the nature of the injury varied from season-ending to Kamara being out for a few weeks. Jones conceded that Kamara is “banged up,” but did not get into specifics.
“Everything is wait and see,” Jones said.
Kamara has 313 rushing yards, 260 receiving yards and 184 return yards and six combined touchdowns this season. He has seen an increased role in recent weeks with starter Jalen Hurd out with an unspecified injury.
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A host of other players like cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Malik Foreman, offensive linemen Jack Jones, Brett Kendrick, and Chance Hall and linebackers Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Cortez McDowell are also all dealing with injuries.
The Volunteers, now 5-2 after the loss to Alabama, have a chance to get healthy with a bye this week. Next on the schedule is an Oct. 29 game at South Carolina.
For more Tennessee news, visit VolQuest.com.
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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
