Tennessee football adds commitment from 2023 JuCo OL Larry Johnson III

There is a clear need on the offensive line for Tennessee football next year with likely multiple players leaving. Josh Heupel has been loading up at that position in the Vols’ 2023 recruiting class, and now he looks to be adding some immediate help.

Junior college offensive lineman Larry Johnson III has now committed to Rocky Top. Johnson’s only rating is 247Sports JuCo, where he comes in as a three-star. However, he stands in the range of 6’6″ to 6’7″ and weighs in the range of 345 to 365 pounds.

Johnson just wrapped up his first year at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, where Cordarrelle Patterson and Alvin Kamara also came out of. He announced his commitment to Tennessee football Wednesday night on Twitter.

Before attending JuCo in Reno County, Kan., Johnson hailed from Savannah, Ga., and attended Jenkins High School. The product of Georgia’s Chatham County is the fifth offensive lineman to commit to the Vols for 2023.

That makes sense given the fact that guard Jerome Carvin is out of eligibility. In addition to Carvin, right tackle Darnell Wright is likely gone. He’s a senior with a year of eligibility, but he is almost certain to be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Because of that, Heupel needed to go out and find as many offensive linemen as possible. Given his frame, Johnson may be somebody who could offset Wright on the outside, but it depends on his quickness. Here is a look at his highlight reel.

As you can see, it’s almost impossible for players to whip Johnson’s block once he gets to them. The question is if he will be quick enough to get to them at the next level, as his size could make that incredible difficult.

With the Early Signing Period just around the corner, Tennessee football now has 24 commitments. The Vols may not be done either. Heupel is clearly loading up in the trenches with young talent and depth, though, so he should have some options next year.