Tennessee football: Top 10 SEC stars 2019 Vols have to account for

It’s very rare for an offensive lineman to be on a list of opposing stars. But Andrew Thomas, who was an SI and CBS Sports All-American last year for the Georgia Bulldogs, is a special type of lineman. At 6’5″ 320 pounds, he is a staple for the Dawgs up front and a huge reason for Jake Fromm’s highly efficient numbers.

Tennessee football will have its work cut out dealing with Thomas against UGA this year. The Vols best chance to pull off the miracle upset is to try to get pressure from the outside. Last year, Darrell Taylor did that with three sacks and two forced fumbles.

However, UT didn’t recover any of those fumbles, and one was actually recovered by Georgia and run in for a touchdown. Thomas will likely have much more of an eye on Taylor this year, and that makes him a star.

The switch from Jim Chaney, who is now on Rocky Top, to James Coley as Georgia’s offensive coordinator may have an impact, as Chaney did specialize in linemen. But either way, Thomas is the best offensive lineman in the SEC by far. And UT has to deal with him somehow if they want to upset Georgia.