Tennessee coach Butch Jones confirmed Wednesday night on his weekly "Vol Calls" radio show that sophomore starting linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. won't play Saturday at Texas A&M.

It will be the fourth consecutive game Kirkland has missed since suffering an ankle injury Sept. 10 in the Vols' win over Virginia Tech.

Jones said earlier Wednesday that senior starting linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin also won't play against the eighth-ranked Aggies (5-0, 3-0 SEC) at Kyle Field because of the shoulder injury that prevented him from playing in Tennessee's 34-31 win Saturday at Georgia.

With Reeves-Maybin and Kirkland both sidelined again, juniors Colton Jumper and Cortez McDowell are likely to start for the ninth-ranked Vols (5-0, 2-0) for the second consecutive game.

(What's next for the Vols? Make sure you're in the loop — take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Vols newsletter now!)

Tennessee also continues to play without senior cornerback Cameron Sutton, who will miss his third consecutive game with an ankle injury suffered Sept. 17 against Ohio.

"Jalen Reeves-Maybin, we continue to evaluate him. He'll be out. Darrin Kirkland will be out, and obviously Cam Sutton," Jones said.

"And if the season started and you said you're 5-0, ranked in the top 10 and you're without three of your best players on defense, with Darrin Kirkland, Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Cam Sutton, I'd look at you kind of cross-eyed. But it's a tribute to all the players in our football program."

BUY ONE MONTH, GET TWO MONTHS FREE to get VIP access to GoVols247.