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Tennessee football: 10 key 2022 Vols who were three-star rated recruits or lower

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) is congratulated after scoring a touchdown at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue
Tennessee running back Jabari Small (2) is congratulated after scoring a touchdown at the 2021 Music City Bowl NCAA college football game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.Kns Tennessee Purdue /
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Tennessee offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins (76) celebrates after an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 45-42.Tennvskentucky1106 2096
Tennessee offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins (76) celebrates after an SEC football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. Tennessee defeated Kentucky 45-42.Tennvskentucky1106 2096 /

Scouting Report. Junior. Javontez Spraggins. 4. player. 839. Pick Analysis. Offensive lineman

6’3″ 325 pounds

Of the two loaded offensive line classes Jeremy Pruitt brought in for 2019 and 2020, Javontez Spraggins, a three-star across the board out of Illinois in 2020, was near the bottom of the list of guys you’d expect to see the most action. Cooper Mays, Darnell Wright, Wanya Morris, Chris Akporoghene and Jackson Lampley were all more highly rated.

Of those, only Mays, Wright and Lampley are still on the team, and only Wright has seen more action. Spraggins stepped up at guard last year because Josh Heupel had to move Cade Mays over to right tackle. He emerged as one of Tennessee football’s most consistent players.

The graduate of East St. Louis High School in St. Clair County, Ill., had the second-highest regular season PFF grade of all the starters and was probably the most consistent player up front. Again, here’s a guy recruited specifically for size who didn’t seem like he’d be a fit for Heupel’s system.

Well, Spraggins played way more snaps under Heupel than Jeremy Pruitt and Jim Chaney. Tennessee football does enter 2022 with some questions on the offensive line, but Spraggins has the right guard spot locked up. That’s pretty impressive given the limited hype behind him when he arrived at UT and how that hype decreased with Heupel’s arrival.

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