Tennessee Vols: The reason UT fans shouldn't be worried about the various offensive line combinations
Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt has made it clear during his recent media sessions that he's nowhere close to naming his starting five offensive linemen. This doesn't come as much of a surprise. Pruitt is notoriously tight lipped when it comes to who his starers will be. In fact, when pressed earlier this week, […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt has made it clear during his recent media sessions that he's nowhere close to naming his starting five offensive linemen.
This doesn't come as much of a surprise. Pruitt is notoriously tight lipped when it comes to who his starers will be.
In fact, when pressed earlier this week, the only starter that Pruitt would commit to was quarterback Jarrett Guarantano.
But while Pruitt isn't publicly naming his starting five offensive linemen, I think we'd all be silly to think he doesn't have a good idea of who they will be this fall.
So why the various offensive line combinations in practice (there's been quite a few of them)?
Well, there might actually be a method to Pruitt's madness that extends beyond finding the five best offensive linemen.
Guarantano spoke to reporters on Wednesday and he mentioned that Tennessee's coaches are trying to put him in tough, game like situations during fall camp.
It's been mostly the usual stuff. Third and long, the typical bad situations. But Guarantano also mentioned the rotating of the offensive line as some of the adversity the coaches are throwing his way.
Guarantano: "A lot of third and longs and two-minute drills backed up with no timeouts. Those type of things. Rotating the offensive line throughout the whole summer."
Even if Pruitt knows who his starting five offensive linemen are, it makes a lot of sense to continue to rotate them through fall camp.
Most of us know that the five offensive linemen that start against Georgia State on August 31 probably won't start every single game at the same position this season. Injuries happen. Players get banged up. The Vols need as much versatility as possible.
Rotating the offensive line allows Pruitt to put players in different positions and different personnel combinations so when someone gets hurt it's not a completely foreign concept to whoever has to step up/move positions.
And it also allows Guarantano to play behind numerous offensive line combinations. If someone gets moved from tackle to guard, or vice versa, it won't be new to Guarantano.
Ultimately, I think Pruitt knows who will start against Georgia State.
But his approach during fall camp has ensured that Tennessee will be well prepared for whatever adversity is tossed their way.
And if we know anything, it's that adversity always strikes at the worst possible time.
Featured image via Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
