KNOXVILLE - After beginning the season as Tennessee's starting left tackle, Drew Richmond mostly disappeared for a long stretch of the season.
Then the recurring injury to Chance Hall prompted the former five-star recruit's return to the starting lineup.
The redshirt freshman started the past two games against Kentucky and Missouri and helped the Volunteers rush for 762 yards and allow four combined sacks in the offense's two best performances of the season.
It would have been easy for Richmond to sulk after losing his job, but his teammates and coaches said that wasn't the case.
"He handled it well," quarterback Josh Dobbs said Tuesday. "He was still in the film room, doing extra pass sets after practice and getting in extra work watching film as if he was the starter. It's shown the last couple of games that he's been able to come in and play very productive and hold down the left side for us.
"It was really good to see that, to see how mature he was to handle that, going from a starter to not playing to back being a starter and still preparing as if he was the starter, staying humble and being ready to go week in and week out."
The Memphis resident struggled mightily against Virginia Tech in the second game of the season and lost his starting job before the end of the 45-24 Tennessee win. Against Ohio the next week the Vols turned to Brett Kendrick and Coleman Thomas at left and right tackle, respectively. Hall returned at right tackle against Florida the following week.
Richmond came off the bench when Hall left the Alabama and Tennessee Tech games, and then he started the past two weeks.
"I'm impressed with Drew Richmond coming back into the starting lineup and playing well," Kendrick said. "I'm real proud of him. He watches extra film and always stays out on the practice field after practice. He's been huge for us."
The 6-foot-5, 301-pounder still had his rough moments against the Wildcats and Tigers, and he especially struggled at times against Missouri's Charles Harris, who ranks third in the SEC with eight sacks and is a potential first-round NFL draft pick if he leaves after this season.
On Tennessee's first touchdown, Harris bull-rushed Richmond to the ground and hit Dobbs as he completed a long jump ball to Jauan Jennings. Dobbs later shook out of Harris's grasp on a key third-down scramble. On another play Dobbs couldn't escape Harris.
"He had a couple problems with him early, but after that he really adjusted and did really well against him," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. "Drew works extra outside of practice. There's times after practice he'll be out there working on his own on pass sets and stuff like that.
"He really wants to do well. His play in the run game, too, he's gotten more physical with his run blocking. He's one of those guys just working to get better every practice."
With Hall unlikely to return, Richmond could start for a third straight game at Vanderbilt on Saturday night.
"I always tell Drew he needs to stay ready," Kendrick said. "Even if he's going into a game not starting, there's so many injuries that could take place. Me being in that role a couple times, I said, 'You need to stay ready and stay prepared, because you never know when your time's going to come.'"
At times Richmond's external demeanor suggested he wasn't as engaged while he wasn't starting, but the comments from those in the program regarding his behind-the-scenes work and his play the past two weeks suggest otherwise.
"I didn't see that out of him, and I think that goes back to kind of those offensive linemen," DeBord said. "Those guys are close and they stay together, and I think they help each other through times like that. That's part of it. Drew's really close with Alvin (Kamara), and Alvin being the great leader he is, he's got ways he can talk to Drew as well.
"I just think the leadership of our team kind of helped him through that time, and he just kept working. He said, 'I'm going to get back in that lineup,' and he's done that."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.