The left side of Tennessee’s offensive line has improved during preseason practice. That’s good. They certainly needed to.
The Vols began practice with a left tackle, Lance Heard, with a knee injury that limited his practice time and a left guard, Andrej Karic, that didn’t match the hype surrounding his highly publicized transfer from Texas.
Let’s start with Heard, who transferred from LSU following the 2023 season.
“A lot of progress,” Tennessee center Cooper Mays said on Tuesday during the Vols’ press conference. “…He’s tried to figure out how to fit in. He’s trying to figure out how to get the offense down and then playing the football side of it, too. So he’s had a lot of stuff on his plate, but he’s done a really good job. He’s a really talented kid.”
Then, how about Karic?
“I think he’s taking kind of a step in all areas,” Mays said glowingly. “He’s a lot stronger this year, always an athletic kid, but to put the strength with it is really what’s helped him a lot. And then, he’s kind of just always there when you think he’s going to be there. He’s dependable. And you know he does some really cool athletic stuff. So he’s done really good.”
The Vols seem to have a set group of starters on the offensive line, despite what Tennessee’s depth chart might have indicated when it was released on Monday. Heard, Karic, Mays are expected to start along with right guard Javontez Spraggins and right tackle John Campbell, Jr., for the Vols when they open the season against Chattanooga in Neyland Stadium at 12:45 p.m. EST.
“We’ve spent a whole year trying to get ready for this moment and this week,” Mays said. “We’ve just got to do the things that we do to get us prepared.”
That starts – like reading – from left to right.
