Tennessee Volunteers Most Important Position Battles for the 2024 Season
Preseason camp is slated to begin at the end of the month and college football is just around the corner. Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers are a popular pick to end up in the College Football Playoff.
The Volunteers have several positions locked down. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava and running back Dylan Sampson will lead the offense behind a stout offensive line. On defense, James Pearce Jr is the potential number one overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft. Keenan Pili is also back at linebacker after missing most of the 2023 season.
With the abundance of talent at several positions, Tennessee has plenty of depth. However, they will also have plenty of position battles during camp. What positions will have the most important battles?
Tennessee Volunteers Most Important Position Battles for the 2024 Season
Left Guard
The Vols have a very solid offensive line at every other position. Left guard is the only spot in question, but not for a lack of options. Jackson Lampley, Shamurad Umarov, Dayne Davis, and Andrej Karic are seemingly battling for the final starting spot.
Lampley and Davis are the elder statesmen of the group, having been around since the 2019 recruiting class. The redshirt seniors have experience all along the line, so they may be best suited for swing duty unless they are deemed the best options.
Umarov has the most upside of them all. The former four-star recruit came to Tennessee as a tackle, but he played mainly guard in a backup role during his freshman season in 2023. Andrej Karic transferred in from Texas prior to the 2023 season and got significant playing time before sustaining an injury that lingered for most of the season.
Wide Receiver
For the beginning of the season, Squirrel White is the only wide receiver locked into a starting spot. Bru McCoy should be ready, but he is coming back from a nasty leg injury that ended his 2023 season early. He is expected to eventually work his way back into the starting lineup, but it’s unknown when that may be.
Prior to 2023, Dont’e Thornton transferred in from Oregon, but he was inconsistent before a season-ending ankle injury. This season, incoming transfer Chris Brazzell is expected to be a big part of the offense. However, it remains to be seen how he handles the jump in competition coming from Tulane.
Those two will have competition from Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb, who both performed well when given the opportunity last season. Incoming five-star freshman Mike Matthews also figures to factor into the rotation. Can Nathan Leacock, Nate Spillman, or Braylon Staley work their way in too?
Running Back
Dylan Sampson is going to be the starting running back. There is no confusion there. However, who will be second in line for carries behind him? Cam Seldon was going to be the RB2, but shoulder surgery in the spring has his availability to start the season in question.
Desean Bishop was a highly productive high school running back, but he missed all of 2023 with an injury. He did, however, look good in the spring. Bishop, along with Khalifa Keith could be stopgaps until Seldon returns. Incoming four-star freshman Peyton Lewis also had offseason surgery, so his development this summer will tell how ready he is to contribute.
Secondary
It seems safe to say Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy and rising sophomore Rickey Gibson III are the starters at corner. Beyond that, the secondary starting spots are mostly up for grabs. Jalen McMurray and Jordan Matthews will provide depth behind them.
Andre Turrentine currently has the inside track to grab one of the safety spots, but Jakobe Thomas, Will Brooks, and John Slaughter will battle it out for the other safety position. Christian Charles has also re-emerged as a potential option after battling injuries during his career.
At the star position, Jourdan Thomas is the leader for Tennessee. However, highly-touted freshman Boo Carter could push for playing time.
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About the Author
Tom has been writing about professional wrestling, college football, NFL, and fantasy football for over a decade and is an avid sports fan. He has been known in the fantasy football industry for his dynasty and devy knowledge, but he is also very versed in betting.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a History degree, he loves all things Vols. He is also a massive Atlanta Braves and Dallas Cowboys fan.
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