Position Breakdown: Offensive Line

I don't normally want to put a disclaimer in front of these articles other than the first and last in a series, but I will do so this time. Currently it's unclear if Greg Emerson will remain on the offensive line, and we have little info on him at that spot, so for now I will treat him as someone likely to remain on defense until further notice. Same for Eric Crosby. As long as their position remains uncertain, I'll roll with their original position for the time being for the sake of simplicity since neither played much offensive line in high school, if any.

Tanner Antonutti, 6-5, 279 - Antonutti is a former tight end in high school who has outgrown the position and is now destined to find a home on the offensive line, likely at tackle given his athleticism. As a tight end, he was first and foremost a blocker, so the transition probably won't be as difficult as it might be for some others who served primarily as a receiver. His biggest challenge will be growing into his new role physically, but once on campus it's possible he will add on weight fast as he enters a collegiate strength and conditioning program along with the nutritional plan they will no doubt put him on. A redshirt season is needed here, and barring injuries forcing him into action I expect that redshirt season to come in 2018.

Devante Brooks, 6-5, 295 - Brooks weighed in at 282 last season, but after being forced into action due to injuries and finding himself physically behind many defenders, I fully expect him to be dedicated to adding strength and weight for the upcoming season. A high school tight end who had struggled with injuries before arriving in Knoxville, he quickly moved to offensive line as it became apparent that he had lost some athleticism through the knee injuries. Brooks played in the last four games of the season last year as injuries forced pretty much everyone on the roster listed as an offensive lineman onto the field at some point. He struggled in those four games starting at right tackle, but that experience should prove valuable the next time he gets on the field.

K'Rojhn Calbert, 6-5, 318 - Calbert had to redshirt last year due to injury, but he had as much upside as anyone the Vols added in the 2017 class. Calbert hasn't played many seasons of football due to injuries, and last season he sat out while getting some lingering issues with those injuries cleaned up. Calbert is a big bodied offensive lineman who appears to be ready to contribute at guard with a bit of additional development. His raw athleticism and strength is elite, but his experience is so limited that his technique is underdeveloped. He's going to be a player to watch in 2018 as he fits the prototype of what the new staff wants their offensive linemen to look like.

Jerome Carvin, 6-4, 330 - The top ranked offensive lineman in the 2018 class, this early enrollee quickly started working with the starters. Carvin is a big man and he knows how to use his size and strength to push defenders around. His technique isn't refined yet, but that's normal for a young offensive lineman jumping from high school to college. Carvin saw time at both tackle and guard this spring, and he's certainly capable of playing at either spot. For now, he appears most likely to land at tackle, but that could change if players like Chance Hall and Trey Smith are back at 100% by August. Carvin will be tough to keep off the field somewhere on the offensive line, in part because of how good he is and in part because the offensive line is on the thin side.

Chance Hall, 6-4, 321 - Hall was one of the Vols best on the offensive line when he was healthy. Unfortunately, good health has been fleeting the past couple seasons as injuries have cost him the better part of two seasons. Now he heads toward his redshirt junior season and there's a sense of cautious optimism that he will finally be healthy enough to return. When healthy, Hall is a road grader, clearing huge holes for the running backs to take advantage of. He's also a solid pass blocker, even if he's not necessarily elite in that capacity. Although he doesn't necessarily have the height typical of an offensive tackle, he does appear to have the long arms needed to handle his business on the edge. The question this coming season will be what impact the injuries have had on his athleticism, but there won't be any answer until he's finally able to get back in pads and begin the process of returning to football shape.

Jahmir Johnson, 6-5, 273 - Recently in an interview with 247Sports' Patrick Brown, Johnson revealed that he's a slim, trim 273. It goes without saying that he'll need to add weight before the season if he wants to play, and playing is something that this JUCO player was brought in to do. The staff has set a goal of adding 15-20 pounds this summer, an ambitious but achievable goal. If and when he's up to weight, Johnson is an athletic offensive tackle who can handle his business as both a pass and run blocker, but his size has been a bit of an issue in the past against bigger defenders. In the SEC, almost everyone is a "bigger" defender. Ultimately, this is a player to watch because the staff could desperately use his help but that won't be in the cards if he can't bulk up.

Ryan Johnson, 6-6, 305 - A former high school offensive tackle, Johnson has moved inside on the offensive line since joining the Vols. Last season, he played in all 12 games and started four as injuries began to pile up. In fact, in four starts, he started at three different spots: right guard, left guard, and center. That said, it's pretty clear that he could play at any of those three spots this coming season, and at this point it seems likely that he will start at one of those spots. Johnson was still developing last season, but he performed admirably at times for someone not expected to have to start. He seems to have taken some strides this spring and if that continues over the course of the summer, he could become a staple of the Vols' offensive line for the next three seasons.

Brandon Kennedy, 6-3, 314 - A good sized graduate transfer from Alabama, injuries limited his playing time some for the Tide, and then after being groomed initially as the future center for the Tide he saw former starting guard Ross Pierschbacher moved to center and take control of the starting job, prompting his graduation and transfer. Kennedy is a tactician and a very intelligent offensive lineman, but he isn't the mauler that the Tide typically prefers, which may have led to the changes. Don't expect him to suddenly become a monster on the inside either. That's simply not his game, which isn't to say that he's lacking physically. He simply prefers to outsmart the man across from him with superior technique and leverage. He can play center or either guard spot, and it's reasonable, with some of the Vols questions along the offensive line, to assume that he will find himself starting next season.

Ollie Lane, 6-5, 295 - A big offensive lineman made to clear the way in the interior of the offensive line. Lane is long and strong, ready to help out after he adds some SEC power to his skill set. Like Johnson, he can play any of the three interior spots. He finished the spring running with the second team at right guard, and considering his head was swimming this spring he's probably a candidate to redshirt this season as long as that remains an option due to injuries. Lane is country-strong rather than football strong right now, and in addition to developing him as a football player physically he needs development with the mental side of the game as well. He will be a big part of the offensive line in the future in all likelihood, but not necessarily this coming season.

Riley Locklear, 6-5, 304 - Locklear was the Ollie Lane of the 2017 cycle, a big, country-strong kid who still had learning to do before contributing at a high level in college. Also like Lane, he's an ideal fit as an interior lineman who can play any of the three interior spots. Hopefully where things go differently for Lane are on the redshirt front as Locklear's had to be burned due to the injury situation last November. He started the last two games at right guard after playing in the previous two at right guard as a reserve. It's hard to say whether or not Locklear can win a starting job this coming season, but he's probably as safe a bet as anyone at this point given his experience and versatility, which gives him a chance to win a job at a couple of spots, most likely at center or right guard.

Nathan Niehaus, 6-6, 291 - The ultimate unknown commodity on the roster. Niehaus has yet to play in a game in his first two seasons on campus, his first due to the need to add weight and strength and the second due to injury. That leaves expectations for him murky at best. It's unclear what he can do or where he best fits, but at his size he is likely to land at one of the tackle spots, and tentatively probably at left tackle where the picture got a little less clear with some concerns regarding Trey Smith (more on that later). Niehaus is still working to add weight, and at one time it had been discussed that he could be moved to tight end to add a bigger body at the position to help with blocking, so athleticism isn't generally considered to be an issue. Strength might be. The quicker Niehaus comes along, the better for the team, especially from a depth perspective.

Drew Richmond, 6-5, 312 - A former 5-star, Richmond heads into his redshirt junior season really feeling the crunch to do or die if he wants to continue to get starts. He's looked good at times, but he's yet to look good consistently. It's possible that a lot of that has had to do with coaching, but he absolutely must become a consistent force at left tackle. He's registered 13 starts in his 16 games played, but as a redshirt freshman he lost his job for a time before getting plugged back in once injuries placed him back into that role. Last season, Richmond had some health issues and served a suspension for the first game of the season, but even when he was healthy he never really showed the type of improvement everyone had hoped for after finishing 2016 strong. Now, he has a new staff to work with and a fresh start. For everyone's sake, here's hoping he makes the most of it.

Trey Smith, 6-6, 325 - Smith is everything you could ask for in an offensive tackle. He showed up at Tennessee already prepared to play at an elite level, and nothing he did last season countered that. Freshman All-American. All-SEC second team. He was one of the best offensive linemen in the best conference in college football as a true freshman. Having said all that, how is it possible I might think he could not be a starter this coming season? Well, there was a non-injury health issue that appears to have reared it's ugly head, and with specifics not having been disclosed at this point uncertainty abounds. It does sound like he's cleared to go through workouts this summer and there is cautious optimism that he will be available this coming season. If he is, he can play any spot with the possible exception of center. He can and will start somewhere if he's cleared to play.

Marcus Tatum, 6-6, 295 - Tatum is heading into his junior season with a few games under his belt, but he hasn't yet been able to lock down a job for good. Part of that has to do with a lean build that hasn't packed on weight easily, but this spring he looked bigger and better built than in seasons past. No longer did he look like a big tight end; he finally looked like a Power 5 offensive lineman. If Tatum was able to start when he was built like a tight end, it's reasonable to assume he will improve significantly with the added bulk and strength. He should be a candidate to start at right tackle, and he might be best positioned to do so heading into this season at this point, although if Jahmir Johnson is able to add weight he could be a potential competitor for the job. Trey Smith is also a candidate there.

A quick note on Greg Emerson and Eric Crosby: both worked at guard this spring when they were moved to that side of the ball. Both are likely capable of contributing on either the offensive or defensive line eventually, but neither is locked into a spot that I'm currently aware of, and Emerson certainly isn't. Emerson was still working to get back to his old self following an injury that cost him about nine months and his entire senior season. Crosby is coming off a redshirt season and had some weight issues coming in as a freshman. His weight appears to be in a better place, but at 6-1 he gives up some length on the defensive line, making it hard to get separation and beat blocks. Guard may ultimately serve him well, but until a final decision is made on these two I'll go into them further when I cover the defensive line.