Tennessee redshirt freshman offensive lineman Drew Richmond takes part in a drill during Friday’s practice. Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said he likes the progress Richmond has shown during spring practice.KNOXVILLE – Mike DeBord would like for both of the redshirt freshmen on Tennessee’s offensive line to become perfect players by the end of spring practice in two weeks.
The offensive coordinator knows helping Drew Richmond and Venzell Boulware through their respective developments requires some patience, though.
The two second-year players have comprised the left side of the Volunteers’ first-team offensive line all spring with the inconsistency typical of most young players at that position.
“They’re not testing my patience,” DeBord said Thursday. “I know through my years of coaching that it takes time and (improvement) every practice. I used to kind of get grouchy and start yelling at a guy about this or that. What I’ve learned is that they’re going to listen to you a lot more when you’re talking to them and teaching them.
“I’ve even changed my demeanor with those guys in practice, those young guys, because I don’t want them to get frustrated and I don’t want them to get down. I want them to have that mentality of, ‘Every rep I’m going to get better.’ That’s how I’m working with them, too, and that’s the way Coach (Don) Mahoney’s working with them.”
Tackle Richmond and guard Boulware both came to Tennessee with high expectations as touted recruits. The Vols flipped Richmond, a former five-star prospect out of Memphis, from Ole Miss just before signing day and held off a late challenge from Ohio State to hold on to Boulware.
Together they went through the redshirt process last season and pointed to this spring as the time for them to prove what they can do.
The absences of Chance Hall and Jashon Robertson this spring led to increased workloads for Richmond and Boulware as they fight for starting spots or at least places on the pecking order on Tennessee’s improved offensive line.
“In my opinion, whoever our top five are going to be, then whoever the sixth player is, we’ve got to be able to get him in the game,” DeBord said. “We can’t like all of the sudden go down to number eight or nine or 10 because we don’t have that flexibility.
“You always look at it (like) who’s our top five, then who’s the sixth, who’s the seventh, eighth, ninth, and then how we’re going to move people around to get that guy in the game.”
Tennessee used that method quite often in 2015, when the Vols had to rotate players into the starting lineup during games and from game to game due to injuries. Typically older linemen are better equipped to handle working at different positions, which is why Richmond and Boulware appear locked into their spots at left tackle and left guard, respectively.
Veterans Dylan Wiesman and Brett Kendrick, on the other hand, can play multiple positions.
Wiesman took over at center when Coleman Thomas missed a couple of practices last week. Kendrick can play anywhere on the line, and he’s been a standout this spring, according to multiple coaches.
“We talk about playing in a calm manner. That’s what he’s doing right now,” DeBord said. “He’s very much in control of his run-blocking and pass protection. That’d be a guy up front that I have seen great improvement in.”
Jack Jones is bouncing back and forth between guard and tackle as Tennessee tries to increase its flexibility up front.
“After going through last year, I love it,” DeBord said. “You have to have it. I do know that you’d like to get glued in and have whoever the top five guys are, have them working together and not moving guys around. But in today’s football that’s kind of hard. You have to have flexibility, and our guys being able to move gives us that.”
It’s entirely possible neither Richmond nor Boulware winds up an opening-game starter. If Kendrick continues to play well at right tackle, the Vols could flip Hall over to left tackle, and Robertson and Wiesman are likely starters at guard if healthy.
What may happen in the future, however, doesn’t diminish how important this spring is for Richmond and Boulware.
“They’ve got the right mindset,” DeBord said. “They want to come out to practice and get better all the time. But you know, in all my years of football, on offense every position’s hard to play, every one, but the offensive line, in my opinion, is probably the hardest. It’s the hardest to learn, and one bad step and you’re in trouble.
“It’s going to take time with them. It is. They’re going to keep getting better and they will continue to do that, but it’s a tough position.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com