After a strong end to the 2019 season, in which Tennessee’s offensive line helped the Vols rush for 552 yards and five touchdowns while only allowing one sack in the final three games, the unit entered the offseason with plenty of momentum.
Even with the outgoing transfers of contributors Ryan Johnson and Marcus Tatum, along with the assumed departure of starting left guard Trey Smith to the NFL Draft, the offensive line was poised to be a strength for Tennessee in 2020.
Then, the unexpected happened. Not only did Smith announce his return for his senior season, but Georgia offensive lineman Cade Mays, a former Tennessee commit and Tennessee legacy, abruptly declared he would transfer from Athens to Knoxville for his junior year.
Pending an immediate eligibility waiver, Mays’ lawyer says he is “highly confident” his client will play next season. With Mays’ immediate eligibility, the Vols could potentially have four former 5-stars and a 4-star starting on the offensive line in 2020.
Suddenly, offensive line coach Will Friend has an embarrassment of riches to develop up front.
Smith will be back at left guard, and could play his way into a first round draft grade in his senior season. Arguably the most talented player on Tennessee’s roster, Smith’s battle with blood clots has been well-documented, and was often cited as a reason why most believed he would declare early for the draft. Tennessee put him on a program that held him out of contact in practice throughout the season, and Smith ended 2019 as a first team All-SEC player. Smith believes another complete season at Tennessee could ease NFL scouts’ concern that his health could terminate his career early, and the Vols will benefit greatly from that decision.
Not only does Tennessee return a complete mauler up front as one of the best offensive linemen in the country, but also a leader in the locker room and a fixture in the Knoxville community.
If Mays is immediately eligible this season, the Vols will have the benefit of an experienced, talented and versatile lineman that would have been a sure-fire starter for the Bulldogs in 2020. It seems as though right guard could be the best fit for Mays in Knoxville, but the rising junior started at four different positions along the Georgia offensive line during his two seasons in Athens.
At center, Tennessee received another boost when Brandon Kennedy announced he was granted a sixth year of eligibility on a medical hardship after missing nearly all of 2018 with a torn ACL. The only offensive lineman to start every game at the same position for Tennessee in 2019, the Alabama transfer and former 4-star prospect will bring a veteran presence at one of the most important positions on the field.
The rising sophomore duo of Wanya Morris and Darnell Wright will also return, and are expected to bookend the left and right tackle spots when the Vols kick off 2020 against Charlotte in Neyland Stadium. Morris started 12 games in 2019 and finished the season strong, earning several freshman All-America honors and being named to the Freshman All-SEC team while showcasing his natural ability, particularly as a pass blocker.
Wright came to campus in the summer, and was not as much of a staple as Morris, making six starts at right tackle all season. The former 5-star did join Morris on the Freshman All-SEC list however, and will be expected to make big strides in the lead-up to 2020 with his 6-foot-6, 330-pound frame.
Rising redshirt junior K’Rojhn Calbert and redshirt senior Jahmir Johnson bring experience and depth at both tackle spots, and are both players Tennessee’s staff will trust to step in. Make no mistake, however, all eyes will be on Wright and Morris to become All-SEC caliber players in 2020.
Rising junior Jerome Carvin started the final seven games for Tennessee in 2019, and could be penciled in as the starter at right guard if Mays is ruled ineligible. Carvin could shift over as a backup at center for Kennedy as well, and the Memphis native will be a key part of this unit’s depth. Riley Locklear is another member of the line with starting experience at different positions playing out his senior season in 2020.
Another legacy in Jackson Lampley, the son of former Vol Brad Lampley, redshirted in 2019 while appearing in two games. The former 4-star Nashville native could be called upon to add depth in 2020, along with Chris Akporoghene, Kingston Harris and Ollie Lane.
Tennessee brings in a crop of newcomers to build for the future, and it remains to be seen how the young players fit into the 2020 rotation, especially after the news of Smith and Mays this offseason.
Cooper Mays, the younger brother of Cade, is the only offensive lineman on campus as an early-enrollee. A 4-star out of Knoxville Catholic, Mays was a key member of Tennessee’s 2020 class. 6-foot-3, 338-pound guard Javontez Spraggins will join Tennessee in the summer, along with 6-foot-4, 323-pound guard James Robinson from Montgomery, Ala.
Tennessee returns all of its running backs in 2020, and has a crowded quarterback room going into spring football to play behind Friend’s unit. For the first time in the Jeremy Pruitt era, the offensive line is arguably the most secure, experienced and talented unit on the offense.