Drew Richmond redshirted last season after coming to Knoxville as a highly regarded recruit from Memphis, but Tennessee offensive line coach Don Mahoney said Richmond is adjusting to the speed of college football.KNOXVILLE – Tennessee’s offense lost only two starters from last season.
One of the top chores for one of the replacements is protecting star quarterback Josh Dobbs from what he can’t see when he drops back to pass.
The Volunteers will have a new starter at left tackle in 2016, and veteran Brett Kendrick and redshirt freshman Drew Richmond, a former five-star recruit from Memphis, are the primary competitors for the job.
“Kyler Kerbyson became the player that played at a level very high because he was very consistent in what he did,” offensive line coach Don Mahoney said before Wednesday’s practice.
“There was nothing that was overly flashy about it. He was just very consistent, and that’s just something we’re continuing to harp to them, is just playing at a level where we know what we’re getting each and every day.”
Kendrick appears to have a slight lead a few days into preseason work, but Tennessee won’t practice in full pads for the first time until Saturday.
The redshirt junior from Knoxville started seven games the past two seasons. In 2014, he filled in at left tackle against Arkansas State and Alabama. Last season he started the first five games at right tackle before an injury sidelined him and allowed Chance Hall to take over and lock down the position for the foreseeable future.
With Hall coming off shoulder surgery entering spring practice, Kendrick played right tackle then – allowing Richmond to take all the first-team reps at left tackle – and he will continue to work at both tackle spots along with guard and center.
“We’re going to play the five best,” offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. “Brett is also moving over to right tackle and working over there and competing over there, and Brett works inside, too. We’re going to end up with the five best guys, and whoever that is, we’ll play those five.
“Drew never leaves (left tackle), whereas Brett does. Brett can do that because of his knowledge, his experience and all that. That’s why he’s able to do that.”
Richmond went from prized recruit to a redshirt season last fall, but he took a renewed sense of purpose into spring practice. He battled the inconsistency typical of a freshman offensive lineman. He was a better pass blocker than run blocker then, but adding strength over the summer and becoming more comfortable in the offense will help his development.
“From the spring to this fall, the game is starting to slow down for him,” Mahoney said. “He’s making his calls a lot sooner, seeing things, knowing things. We’ve talked through scenarios at the end of a play, and he’s spitting out the language that we expect to hear. That’s been good, so he’s really making strides.”
Beyond left tackle, Tennessee appears settled on offensive line starters: Hall at right tackle, Coleman Thomas at center and Jashon Robertson and Dylan Wiesman as the guards. But the Vols aren’t taking that approach this preseason as they force multiple players to work at multiple positions to maximize depth and flexibility.
Hall is working at both tackle spots, Thomas has worked at tackle and Robertson, Wiesman, redshirt freshman Venzell Boulware and sophomore Jack Jones all are snapping at center.
“Last year, in the course of about five days we lost two linemen,” Mahoney said. “You’ve always got to be prepared for the unknowns. We’re not thinking in a negative light, but if that were to happen, what’s our plan?”
The constant rotation of linemen is by design.
“We talk about that before every practice,” DeBord said. “We go through it, and (Mahoney will) say, ‘Here’s my thoughts with rotating guys today.’ Every practice has a plan where we’re rotating guys around and getting guys reps. We did that last year, too, and I thought he did a great job of that.”
The starting left tackle job, Mahoney said, will go to the player who this month demonstrates the best consistency and continuity with the rest of the offensive line.
“They’re working really hard at that, and at some point in time in the camp, we’re going to start to narrow it down,” he added. “Each and every practice they’re under a spotlight. Your reps are valuable, your production’s valuable and it’s all on film.”
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfree press.com.