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Tennessee football roster: Projecting Vols’ 2019 2-deep depth chart

By Caleb Calhoun

LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 28: Daniel Bituli #35 and Nigel Warrior #18 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate a recovered fumble against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KY - OCTOBER 28: Daniel Bituli #35 and Nigel Warrior #18 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate a recovered fumble against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium on October 28, 2017 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Center

1. Brandon Kennedy

Redshirt Senior, 6’3″ 300 pounds

After suffering a season-ending injury in the opener against the West Virginia Mountaineers last year, Brandon Kennedy returns looking to have a splash of a senior season. He’s the one true center who has experience producing in the pro-style offense, and Jeremy Pruitt has a special connection since he followed Pruitt by transferring away from the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Provided he’s back to full health, expect Kennedy to make a huge impact as the starting center this year. It may take a few games, but Vols fans have plenty of reasons to be excited about him returning to his position in the middle. He does have talent himself and gives Tennessee football lots of flexibility up front.

2. Ryan Johnson

Redshirt Junior, 6’6″ 313 pounds

Ryan Johnson stepped in for Kennedy at center in the final 11 games after Kennedy got hurt. He’s our No. 2 center, which is why we had to list five guards since he’s also a projected starter at guard. That’s the type of versatility Johnson brings to the table, which is a big deal overall for the Vols coaches, especially Jeremy Pruitt.

Should Johnson have to fill in again, the good news for him is that he’s more prepared. He actually improved down the stretch of last season at center, and he’s got an offensive coordinator in Jim Chaney now who works better with offensive linemen than Tyson Helton did. As a result, the Vols are in good shape with Johnson being the backup center.

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