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Tennessee football 2018 preview by position: Vols offensive line

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 15: A general view of one end zone at Neyland Stadium during the game between the LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers on October 15, 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 15: A general view of one end zone at Neyland Stadium during the game between the LSU Tigers and the Tennessee Volunteers on October 15, 2011 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images
Photo by John Sommers II/Getty Images /

Final take

Tennessee football may have to replace a lot of talented offensive linemen. They may have a lot of guys coming back from injury. And they may have been awful at this position overall last year. But that doesn’t mean it has to be the case this year.

The Vols return a potential All-American in Trey Smith for his sophomore year, and they also have a guy who has shown five-star talent in Drew Richmond. With the right coaching, that’s two elite players on the line right there who have both proven a lot on the field.

A third player who has proven himself to be elite is Chance Hall. Given the injuries of the last two years, you can say that the training and medical staff were as much a problem as Hall’s issues. With all of that changed and better coaching, there’s a chance the Vols open the season with three proven elite linemen at the college level.

With the addition of Brandon Kennedy and the development of Riley Locklear, that makes for five guys on the line who can all be elite. Add in the other players with experience and the arrival of four-star freshman Jerome Carvin, and Tennessee football has enough for a 10-man rotation on the offensive line.

On top of that, they have five other guys who can step in and contribute as backups if needed, and there are 20 players on the roster overall. Simply put, the unit is deeper than you expect. The only issues are making the transition to a pro-style and getting fully healthy.

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Should the Vols be able to handle both of those things, there is a chance that the line is vastly improved. We know that Butch Jones and his staff did not develop players at this position. So with the right coaching, the status of this unit remains a huge question. But so many players in the system mean there should be enough to step up and make a huge impact. So tread with cautious optimism at this position.

Note: This preview is part of a series of previews for the 2018 Tennessee football season. For a look at other positions, please click here.

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