The Tennessee Vols had a lot of excitement heading into the offseason, mostly because of their dominating 35-0 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Citrus Bowl. Although Iowa had the fourth-best scoring defense in the country at the end of the season, they were no match for Tennessee’s explosive offense (during what was regarded as a “down season” for the Vols). The main driver of the excitement is quarterback Nico Iamaleava, a former five-star recruit who started his first game as a college.
Iamaleava didn’t put up gaudy numbers against Iowa — he accounted for four touchdowns, but he only passed for 151 yards — but he showed enough of the skillset that made him the No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting class to elicit plenty of praise from national analysts.
The play of Iamaleava combined with Tennessee’s high-end skill-position talent has the Vols poised to make a run at the new 12-team College Football Playoff that will make its debut in 2024.
One big concern that’s arisen over the last week, however, centers around Tennessee’s offensive line. And that’s a concern that could make or break the Vols’ 2024 season.
For now, Tennessee has sure things in left tackle John Campbell and center Cooper Mays. Right guard Javontez Spraggins is also expected to return in 2024.
That leaves some big question marks at right tackle and left guard.
Tennessee has pursued a couple of options in the transfer portal, but they haven’t been able to close the deal yet. There’s hope that LSU transfer offensive tackle Zalance Heard will transfer to UT. If the Vols can land Heard, it would certainly allow Vol Nation to let out a collective sigh of relief. But if Tennessee misses on Heard (Oklahoma is also pursuing him), it puts the Vols back at square one in their search for a replacement for Gerald Mincey at right tackle.
If UT can’t find an option in the portal (that seems unlikely…they’ll find someone, even if it’s after spring practice), then Tennessee would likely enter the 2024 season with super senior Dayne Davis and rising sophomore Shamurad Umarov as right tackle options.
As for guard, the Vols would be wise to find a portal option there, too. Andrej Karic, a Texas transfer who saw limited action last season for the Vols due to injury, will be in the mix at left guard in 2024. Rising sophomores Vysen Lang and Ayden Bussell could factor in as well. Those three players might be perfectly capable of holding down the left guard spot for Tennessee in 2024, but none of them are “sure things”. And with the Vols eyeing a spot in the playoff, they can’t afford to not have “sure things” along the offensive line. In a best case scenario, Karic, Bussell, and Lang serve as depth for the interior offensive line (which will be needed….offensive line depth is always needed).
The Vols need to find some solutions before spring practice starts. The last thing they want to do is enter the summer months without a good idea of who their starting offensive line will be.
The talent on the offensive side of the ball has championship potential. But it won’t matter if Tennessee can’t field an elite offensive line in 2024.
It’s not quite panic time. But it’s something the Vols have to figure out. And they have to figure it out quickly.
