Tennessee football: 10 safest starting spots on 2020 roster

Center

We now get to the more certain starters, barring injury. When Brandon Kennedy transferred to Tennessee football from the Alabama Crimson Tide to join Jeremy Pruitt’s program back in 2018, he immediately earned the starting job at center. However, he then suffered a season-ending injury after the opener.

Last year, in what was his fifth-year senior season, the 6’3″ 300-pound product of Wetumpka High School resumed his starting role at center, and by the middle of October, he had gotten back into rhythm and become a solid blocker. Then, in the offseason, Kennedy received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA due to two injuries that held him back his college career.

As a result, Kennedy enters this season the clear-cut starter at center. There are other guys who can play it, most notably Jerome Carvin and newcomer Cooper Mays. But Kennedy isn’t going to lose that spot after starting every game at the position last year and getting better over time. He is a proven veteran at a position that requires lots of experience.

The only reason Kennedy isn’t higher on this list is injury concerns. We can’t guarantee 100 percent that he will be able to maintain his starting position throughout the year. Once we get to the spots where we know a starter is confirmed, that’s our way of drawing differences between the rest of the people on this list.