‘That’s a discussion that both sides have to have’ – Tennessee may have a problem to solve with one of its top players
The Tennessee Vols have a couple of players that haven’t decided yet if they’re returning in 2026.
Tennessee Vols junior offensive lineman Lance Heard has a decision to make.
Heard, who started his career at LSU before transferring to Tennessee in 2024, could choose to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, or he could decide to return to Knoxville for his senior season.
The former five-star recruit started all 12 games for the Vols in 2025. Heard has allowed just three sacks on 1,780 snaps in his college career.
Vols Insider shares the latest on Lance Heard’s NFL decision
VolQuest’s Austin Price joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Tuesday and he shared some thoughts on Heard’s looming NFL Draft decision.
Price noted that David Sanders Jr is expected to play left tackle in 2026 after playing right tackle as a true freshman in 2025.
If Heard returns to Tennessee in 2026, it’s possible he’d be asked to flip sides and move to right tackle (Darnell Wright did this at Tennessee in 2022 and he ended up being a top 10 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft).
“I think the rubber meets the road on the whole left tackle thing,” said Price. “Because David Sanders is planning on being Tennessee’s starting left tackle next year. So that’s a discussion that both sides have to have if Lance wants to come back. And what does Tennessee do there? But that’s why they pay Josh Heupel $9 million to make those decisions.
“As far as the timeline of the decision, I think he’s been waiting to get back his draft grade to get a feel for where they believe he could be drafted in the spring. To this point, he has not gotten that (draft grade) back.”
For now, the Vols are in a holding pattern when it comes to Heard. If he decides to return, then Josh Heupel and his staff will have to iron out who plays left tackle and right tackle without hurting any feelings in the process.
If Heard enters the draft, I’d expect the Vols to look for some help in the portal to add competition to their offensive line room.
My gut feeling says Heard isn’t back at Tennessee next season, but that door hasn’t officially been closed yet, so there’s at least a chance that the Louisiana native returns to Knoxville. And that would undoubtedly be the best scenario for the Volunteers in 2026.
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