There is good and bad when it comes to Tennessee’s offensive line. Let’s get the bad out of the way right now.

The Vols have two offensive tackles that are on the mend following a tough, physical matchup against Oklahoma. Starting left offensive tackle Lance Heard wasn’t able to make the trip to Norman and, subsequently, wasn’t available to play against the Sooners. Things then got worse at the tackle position.

Starting right offensive tackle John Campbell, Jr., was knocked from the game against the Sooners with a chronic bursa sac injury in his ankle. That injury has made it tough for Campbell to finish games, as it often flares up when he hits the field. Every game that Campbell starts and completes should be considered a blessing for Tennessee offensive line.

Campbell’s injury against Oklahoma left the Vols with the inability to protect Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava from pressure when it came from the edge of the pocket. Fortunately, the Vols were still well fortified in the interior of the offensive line. That allowed them to rely on their ground game in the second half in Norman, which accounted for 151 yards total against the Sooners. And there was nothing easy about it.

The rushing yards were tough to get. The Vols didn’t have any long sprint to the end zone to pad their stats. Tennessee’s longest run was just 17 yards against Oklahoma.

Tennessee’s interior, as well as the entire offensive line, is led by All-SEC center Cooper Mays. Right guard Javontez Spraggins is also a known commodity after deciding to return for his sixth and final season as a Vol. Spraggins has started 41 games. 

Spraggins may be one of the Vols’ most underrated players on Tennessee’s entire football team. At 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, the senior helps create a massive push for the Vols’ running attack, which also depends on his fellow offensive guard, Andre Karic, who seems far more ready to be a dependable player now that he is healthy and has an entire season under his belt.

Karic transferred from Texas following the 2022 season. He was expected to be the Vols’ starter at left guard in 2023, but was knocked out of action after four starts due to a lower back injury. Now, Karic seems healthy and playing at a high level. According to Pro Football Focus, Karic has not allowed a sack or quarterback hit in 193 offensive snaps this season.

Karic has been a part of a Tennessee offense that ranks sixth in the country in rushing yards with 290 per game. The Vols are also averaging 5.9 yards per rush, which certainly sets the Vols’ offense up for future success. There’s plenty of play calls a coach can make if he’s facing second down with just four yards to go. Karic has helped the Vols stay ahead of the chains all season thank to his strength and, surprisingly agile feet that is tough for opposing defensive linemen to deal with.

When asked about his improved play this season, Karic said, “I think just not playing football for a long period of time and getting back into the groove of things. Thinking about different aspects of the game that we don’t normally get to see, watching film, and getting back into the flow of things has been really important.”

The 6-foot-6, 314-pound Karic is an interesting player. He’s probably agile enough to play offensive tackle, but Tennessee’s coaching staff decided long ago that he’d be a key cog for the Vols at guard on the offensive line. How athletic and mobile is Karic? Well, he actually played tight end for Texas, where he registered three starts as a blocker at that position. Karic was then moved to offensive tackle before transferring to Tennessee.

The transition to guard from tackle, or tight end, was certainly fraught with early challenges. However, that hasn’t slowed Karic. Only injuries have done that. Karic may have been a concern during the preseason because of his lack of experience, but he’s growing into a known commodity at left guard.

“I think always, when switching positions, there’s a little bit of a period where everything is moving a lot faster than it was before because you’re comfortable in your tackle position,” Karic said. “I’d say moving to guard, things are happening a lot quicker and more aggressive at the point of attack, so just having all of those reps and getting a lot of time.

“Everything has slowed down to this point and it’s been a lot better.”

The interior of Tennessee’s offensive line is an overall team strength, despite what may be happening at tackle. That’s something the Vols can lean on this season, especially if pressure on Iamaleava continues to come from the outside edge as it did against Oklahoma. Karic, Mays and Spraggins give the Vols some rare physicality to push teams around, even those as physical as Oklahoma. Plus, they’re also fantastic at protecting Iamaleava, who certainly doesn’t want to see pressure coming straight into his face from the defensive interior. Immediate pressure like that is almost impossible to avoid. 

Tennessee will face more teams with stout defensive linemen on the defensive interior that are determined to stop opposing rushing attacks. Arkansas, who the Vols next play on Oct. 5 after a bye week, is one of those teams. However, the Razorbacks probably aren’t as good up front on defense as Oklahoma.

The Sooners are seventh in the SEC in rushing yards allowed per game with 96 yards per contest, but part of that is because they’ve been challenged more often. Arkansas is fourth best in the SEC with 96 yards allowed per game. However, that’s not the defining statistic to look at.

Oklahoma only allows 2.45 yards per carry, which is best in the SEC. Arkansas allows three yards per carry, which is sixth best in the SEC. Neither will be easy to run against consistently this season.

Tennessee’s rushing attack should be able to handle the Razorbacks, just like the Vols handled Oklahoma on the ground in the second half. Tennessee leads the SEC with 290 yards per game rushing, is tied for third in the conference with 5.89 yards per carry. 

Those are some pretty stout numbers. Good thing for the Vols they can run the football considering just how bad the Vols were in pass protections last week.