Jesse Perry developed the reputation last football season for playing wherever Tennessee’s coaches needed him on the offensive line.
The 6-foot-6, 320-pound junior from Murfreesboro is now willing to play wherever and lead whoever wants to be led.
“I think I’ve grown into a leadership role a little bit,” Perry said last week in a news conference. “I naturally just want to help the person next to me, and I want to see everybody in the room grow. As this past offseason progressed, I became more comfortable being a leader in the locker room with the O-line, the offense and the team.
“I want to help the guy next to me, because that pushes me to do better, and that can make our O-line better.”
Perry played 750 offensive snaps for last season’s Volunteers throughout their 13 games, making starts in 12 of them. He started seven games at right tackle and five at right guard.
Tennessee held its ninth preseason practice Monday and its first since Saturday’s scrimmage inside Neyland Stadium, which was followed by Vols sixth-year coach Josh Heupel praising Perry.
“He’s a smart, tough and relentless competitor who understands the game at an extremely high level,” Heupel said. “He has the ability to understand the technique that you have to play with at both of those positions with different forms of pass rush you’re going to see sliding outside. You are mastering your eyes in pass protection and the run game, too, at two different positions.
“Jesse’s versatility is a huge part for us on the offensive line, and we’re going to need that through the season.”
Perry signed with Tennessee in 2024 as a three-star prospect out of Middle Tennessee Christian who weighed roughly 270 pounds. He has been competing with Sham Umarov and with West Virginia transfer Donovan Haslam at right guard, and with LSU transfer Ory Williams and Jeremias Heard at right tackle.
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Vols offensive line coach Glen Elarbee repeatedly credits Perry as one who “does everything right,” and that’s at two separate positions.
“I’ve been working on my footwork, my inside zone and just being able to play guard and tackle at a high level,” Perry said. “I take reps at guard and tackle, and I’m trying to be very specific in all my details. I’m working on the timing of my hands, because the timing is different between guard and tackle.
“I’m just trying to be perfect at both of them.”
Vols tabbed 20th
Tennessee will begin the 2026 season ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll, which was released Monday.
This will be the fourth consecutive year in which the Vols will be ranked entering a season. They were 12th to start the 2023 season, 15th in 2024 and 24th last August.
Craft commits
The Vols received their first commitment for the 2028 signing cycle on Monday afternoon, receiving a nonbinding pledge from quarterback Kaden Craft of Lake Norman High School in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Craft, a 6-4, 205-pounder, attended a Tennessee camp in late May. He is the nation’s No. 8 quarterback and the No. 107 overall recruit in the 2028 class.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.