Josh Heupel discusses importance of pass protection, updates four-star RB Justin Williams

Pass protection is something Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel is emphasizing during spring ball. Specifically, Heupel wants to see improved pass protection from Tennessee’s running back room.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker enjoyed a strong season last year, but he was sacked 36 times and forced to move outside the pocket more than Tennessee would have liked. Improving pass protection is something that will be valuable for the entire offense, and Heupel wants to see that improvement throughout the entire Tennessee roster.

“It’s a point of emphasis for us as an entire offensive unit,” Heupel said of pass protection. “The pass protection’s got to continue to clean up. At the running back position, everybody that we have on campus has to continue to make strides in that. Going back and through self scout, I feel like that’s an area that can clean up the pocket, make us more efficient and play ahead of the chains and give us an opportunity to push the football down the field.”

Heupel on Jonathan Williams in pass protection for Tennessee

Tennessee brings in a talented freshman running back this season, in four-star Justin Williams. Williams is the 16th running back in the 2022 class according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average.

But, just as with any other player on offense, Heupel is looking for Williams to progress in the Tennessee offense in pass protection.

“As a young running back that comes into your program, it’s one of the areas – playing without the football – that all of them have to grow in. You just look at high school football and their pass protection responsibilities. What they’re seeing from the other side of the football is drastically different at this level and it’s something that we work on every day at this point in spring ball and in position drills. And then do some crossover good-on-good, running backs, linebackers and then we throw tight ends in there too. We got to continue to grow.”

Tennessee returns its leading rusher, Jabari Small, this season after he rushed for 792 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Jaylen Wright and Len’Neth Whitehead, who were fourth and fifth on the team in rushing, also return this season. Even with a relatively deep running back room, Williams has a path to playing time if he is able to pick up and improve on his pass protection. The talented young back has the rest of the spring to continue getting better.