Tennessee football: 10 players Vols can’t afford to lose for 2019

Injuries are part of the game, but Tennessee football can’t afford to lose certain players for 2019. Here is a look at those 10 Volunteers.

It’s already been a bad start for Tennessee football on the injury front this fall camp. The Vols don’t have too many injuries, but they have them in places that are crucial to trying to have a turnaround season in 2019.

That includes a veteran defensive back being limited, their best offensive lineman still out due to blood clots and their only proven defensive lineman suffering a season-ending injury. Add in all the injury retirements this offseason, from Darrin Kirkland Jr. to Chance Hall, Nathan Niehaus, Eric Crosby and Melvin McBride on the line, and this team has lost some key players.

There’s still light at the end of the tunnel, though, thanks to Jeremy Pruitt’s recruiting and the players who are back from last year. Tennessee football is building depth, just lots of it is unproven. But which areas do they not want to have to turn to their backups?

Well, that’s what this post is about. We’re going to be taking a look at the most crucial Vols for 2019, the ones that Pruitt and his staff can’t afford to lose for any reason. Emmit Gooden and Trey Smith, who are already out, would have been at the top of this list if they weren’t.

But them being out makes it even more crucial for players elsewhere to stay healthy. This list does not include a look at the 10 best players on the team. That will come later. These are just the players that have to stay healthy because of Pruitt’s limited options at their positions.

Last year showed that injuries, even if limited, can be deadly. The Vols lost their only two proven offensive linemen, and it cost them a shot at a bowl game. Things like that can’t happen again this year. So let’s go ahead and figure out which players fall in that category. These are the 10 Vols Tennessee football can least afford to lose for 2019.