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Graduation forcing change on Tennessee offensive line

On3 imageby:Brent Hubbs•about 13 hours•

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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and his football program are like every football program in that they are lots transitions at every position on the team. Tin

Some of that transition is a result of the transfer portal and some is the result of graduation. On the offensive front, Tennessee is replacing four starters who are out of eligibility. Those veterans gave Heupel and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee great security. The departures due to graduation is forcing the development of youth on the offensive front starting at center. 

“We’ve been fortunate to have Coop and you mentioned Spraggs, for a long time,” Heupel said. “But that’s the great thing about college football too, is your roster changes and it’s exciting to have young guys that got to grow into it and take control and battle and fight and find out who’s going to be ready to play at a championship level.”

To help be at that championship level, Tennessee added two transfers in Sam Pendleton from Notre Dame and Wendall Moe from Arizona. 

“Like what we’ve done inside of that room, the portal additions that have experienced years in college football,” Heupel said. “Body types that we like. Both smart guys as far as their ability to process information at the oline position. I’m excited, once we get to the pads, you tend to find out a whole lot more about the guys up front. Becomes real football, but really excited about them. The young players that we’ve added over the last couple of cycles inside of that position room. 

“Really excited about their growth and development. Physically there’s still a lot of that left out there for them as we continue to grow through our offseason before we kick off or get to training camp. Excited to see them grow on the football field fundamentally in technique in the cycle of college football. 

In that group is 5-star talent David Sanders, who has quickly hit the ground running on Rocky Top.

“Man, super smart kid that (is) very engaging, very personable. He has a great family. Cares about the guys around him. He’s had great work habits since he arrived,” Heupel said. “There’s a lot of growth for him and every young guy that has come onto our roster. He’s put on weight, got to continue to do that, continue to grow into his frame, but he’s got great athleticism.”

As for the center competition, Tennessee has second year players Max Anderson, William Satterwhite, and Jesse Perry. Heupel said the key for that position is how much better he makes everyone around him.

“Command and control of what we’re doing offensively, understanding defensive structures, the ability to communicate at a really high level and get all five guys on the same page. That includes your tight ends and running backs, too.

“Coop has done a really good job for a really long time here. We were fortunate to have him for a while, but we got a lot of guys that, you know, we have great belief in. They gotta continue to grow as players, but a ton of competition at that position as well. It’ll be multiple guys that are putting their hands on the ball and playing the center spot, but you know, I think there’s really good competition at all the spots that we’re continuing to grow inside of that room.”

Tennessee returns to the practice field on Monday.

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