The Tennessee Volunteers will begin their fifth spring under coach Josh Heupel on Friday morning with the ultimate goal of a second straight appearance in the 12-team College Football Playoff.
A lot obviously has to transpire between now and then, with most of the issues looming on offense. Nico Iamaleava is back at quarterback, but that’s essentially where the familiarity ends.
Here are five storylines to follow between now and the annual Orange & White Game, which has been set for April 12 at Neyland Stadium.
1. O-line rebuild
Six of the top seven offensive linemen on last year’s team that posted a 10-2 regular season before losing at Ohio State 42-17 in a CFP first-round pairing have moved on, and that was a unit that was stellar in establishing the run but often struggled in pass protection. Center Cooper Mays was the leader of the line and had a sizable influence on the offense overall, but Mays is out of eligibility along with fellow former starters Javontez Spraggins, Andrej Karic and John Campbell Jr., as well as reliable reserves Dayne Davis and Jackson Lampley.