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Tennessee football roster: Projecting the Vols’ 2017 2-deep depth chart

By Caleb Calhoun

Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium at halftime during the game between Tennessee Volunteers and the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of Neyland Stadium at halftime during the game between Tennessee Volunteers and the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers offensive lineman Coleman Thomas (55) celebrates with fans after defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers 38-24 at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2016; Nashville , TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers offensive lineman Coleman Thomas (55) celebrates with fans after defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers 38-24 at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /

Offensive Guard

1. Jack Jones (RG)

Last year, Jack Jones had to step in as a starter earlier than expected due to injuries and poor play. At guard, he became a very reliable player. However, he then had to undergo surgery and spent the spring recovering.

Now, though, we project that he will be back at full strength and start at right guard. The 6’4″ 307-pound junior will help reinforce the Tennessee football offensive line and should be a major force this Fall.

2. Coleman Thomas (LG)

Coleman Thomas struggled at center last year, moved over to guard, and then went back to center. That versatility is a good thing, but we project he will be Tennessee football’s starting left guard this year.

The 6’5″ 301-pound senior is one of the toughest guys on the roster and a huge over-achiever, and with 21 starts, he has plenty of experience. Thomas’s versatility will be a big thing for the line this year, and although most of his experience is center or right guard, he is agile enough to move to left guard. So that’s where we predict he will start.

3. Trey Smith

Trey Smith became a breakout Tennessee football star this spring. A four-star recruit as a member of the Vols’ 2017 class, Smith was an early enrollee. He became a star immediately and drew praise from players and coaches alike. However, we are not making the jump to put the 6’6″ 313-pound freshman in the starting lineup yet. Butch Jones rarely starts freshmen on the line because there’s so much to learn. But at the No. 3 spot, he’s clearly in the rotation. And that can happen in Jones’s system at guard, so that’s why we have him here.

4. Venzell Boulware

The 6’3″ 306-pound redshirt sophomore saw action in seven games last year and started three of them, so Venzell Boulware is ready to step in for the Vols in the guard rotation when needed. We project that Trey Smith moved ahead of him this spring, but he still has talent and will be a force on the line when called upon.

5. Ryan Johnson

This may seem a bit odd to have five guards on a two-deep depth chart. However, we need 22 guys on the offensive roster. And one of the guards is a backup at the center position. So we added a fifth guard to get to 22. Ryan Johnson is a redshirt freshman who expects to be a factor in the depth situation for Tennessee football this year, and if the starting center on this roster gets hurt, he’ll all of a sudden be in the rotation.

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