Tennessee football: Projecting two-deep depth chart for 2021
Long snapper
1. Matthew Salansky
Long snapping is a big deal on field goals and punts. Tennessee football saw a drop-off in production in both over the past couple of years when changes had to be made. Matthew Salansky was in his first season starting last year, and he handled every snap on special teams. His inexperience could have contributed to an early drop-off in Brent Cimaglia’s production.
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This year, with more experience, the 5’11” 245-pound redshirt sophomore should be a lot more consistent. Having an experienced field goal kicker and experienced punter will help with that. Salansky knows how to be physical, as he did have three tackles last year, and that should help with the blocking side of snapping, which is a big deal too.
2. Will Albright
Despite being recruited as a long snapper, Will Albright was so highly touted that he actually earned a status as a two-star center for the Vols in 2020. He was actually the No. 1 long snapper in the country coming out of high school. However, Albright appeared in just one game last year. With Salansky as the clear starter, you have to wonder if there will be a place for Albright.
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The 6’1″ 220-pound redshirt freshman could, to be fair, split time with Salansky, as one handles punts and one handles field goals, so this may be by committee. At this point, though, Albright is the No. 2 long snapper.