The Tennessee Vols’ most important non-QB position battle is finally trending in a specific direction
One of the Tennessee Volunteers’ most important fall camp position battles may finally be winding down.
The starting quarterback competition is obviously the most important position battle going down in fall camp for the Tennessee Vols.
But it’s not the only position battle going down.
Tennessee is also trying to find its third wide receiver and its right tackle.
The right tackle battle, at least I believe, is the second most important position battle in camp. Tennessee needs to find its best five offensive linemen as quickly as possible — that unit needs to be elite as they block for a freshman starting quarterback.
Ory Williams is trending to be starting offensive lineman for the Vols
Most of the offensive line is set. We know David Sanders Jr is the guy at left tackle and Wendell Moe is the right guard. We also know Sam Pendleton will start at center (though he’s being pushed by Nic Moore). The right side is where the question marks are.
We know that Jesse Perry is going to start. It’s just unclear if he’ll be at right guard or right tackle.
LSU transfer Ory Williams, West Virginia transfer Donovan Haslam, and Sham Umarov are the top options for the last starting spot.
And it sounds like it’s Williams who’s getting close to locking down a starting spot.
“I think Ory Williams at right tackle held his own in the scrimmage on Saturday,” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs on Tuesday on WNML’s SportsTalk. “This is his chance to go slam the door on that thing this week, and then Jesse Perry ends up inside. Or does [Tennessee] think Jesse Perry is vastly better at right tackle than he is at right guard, and that he’s better than Ory Williams at right tackle? We’ll see. But it feels like Ory Williams did a lot of what he needed to do on Saturday during the scrimmage to help himself become a starter for Tennessee in Week One against Furman, but we’ll see exactly what that looks like.”
VolQuest’s Austin Price also commented on Williams on Tuesday.
“Solid scrimmage from Ory Williams,” said Price on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “I think that’s the biggest thing you’re trying to get out of him right now. If he continues to come along in this offense — solid play, no mental busts. I think he did have one play where he had a hands to the face penalty that kind of stalled out a drive, but on the whole, he was very solid in the scrimmage.”
To be clear, nothing is settled. But it certainly sounds like if Williams is solid in Tennessee’s second scrimmage on Saturday (August 22), then he’ll likely be one of Tennessee’s starting five offensive linemen in the season-opener against Furman. And I’d imagine that he’d be at right tackle with Perry at right guard.
