THREE REASONS FOR OPTIMISM
1. Piercing Pearce
Tennessee junior edge rusher James Pearce Jr. quickly emerged last season as one of college football’s top pass rushers, and he is already being mentioned as a potential top overall pick in next April’s NFL draft. The 6-foot-5, 243-pounder from Charlotte, North Carolina, amassed 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks to cruise to All-Southeastern Conference honors. If there was a downside to Pearce’s performance, it’s that 5.5 of his 10 sacks came in routs of Virginia, South Carolina and Iowa, but he heads a very deep and impressive position for the Volunteers that includes Joshua Josephs, Caleb Herring and five-star freshman Jordan Ross.
2. Experience up front
The Vols led the SEC in rushing last season for the first time in 24 years and return four offensive linemen, including All-America center candidate Cooper Mays, who have started multiple games for Tennessee. The only newcomer is sophomore left tackle Lance Heard, a former LSU five-star signee who transferred and bumped seventh-year senior John Campbell Jr. to right tackle. Mays, Campbell and right guard Javontez Spraggins are among six multiyear seniors on the offensive line, which is nearly matched by the five on the defensive front: Dominic Bailey, Bryson Eason, Omarr Norman-Lott, Elijah Simmons and Omari Thomas. The “guts” of Tennessee’s roster finally resemble what you annually see at the Alabamas and Georgias of the college football world.