Tennessee football: Top 10 dark horse Vols for 2021 season
With so much attrition naturally surrounding Tennessee football this year, there are naturally going to be some players who surprisingly burst onto the scene. After all, a new head coach installing a new system on both sides of the ball and a wave of players leaving the program via the transfer portal opened up a lot of roster spots.
We can project all we want which players should benefit the most from this, and many of those players will live up to such expectations. However, some breakout players will be ones nobody saw coming. There are plenty of solid candidates on that front as well.
As we get set to look at such players, our criteria for listing them won’t just be their potential or the roster. It will also include their youth and their past. Players on this list have to be returning Vols who aren’t juniors or above. Simply put, they can’t be generating any buzz as newcomers or with experience. These are Tennessee football’s top 10 dark horse candidates for 2021.
Offensive lineman. Sophomore. Javontez Spraggins. 10. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. player. 839
6’3″ 320 pounds; Hometown: East Saint Louis, Ill.
There are a few offensive linemen who are young but could burst onto the scene this year. When it comes to the interior, the Vols had to replace Trey Smith and Brandon Kennedy, and Riley Locklear was forced to retire due to medical issues. Josh Heupel definitely needs more depth to emerge there if his first team is going to be successful.
Chris Akporoghene and Jackson Lampley were highly touted recruits in 2019 who could both play inside. However, the top candidate here is Javontez Spraggins. he was lower-rated and a year younger, but he did play in eight games last year and even made a start.
The product of Illinois’ St. Clair County could actually start this year if Tennessee football moves Cade Mays to the other tackle position opposite Darnell Wright. If the Vols don’t do that, Spraggins could still be a staple up front. He’s almost a guy who should be a breakout candidate and not a dark horse candidate, but the lack of coverage he’s getting puts him here.