Former LSU offensive tackle Lance Heard’s name was shown to be active in the University of Tennessee student directory as of Friday afternoon.
Heard’s active status in the student directory does not necessarily point to the same status with the football team but is a step in the right direction for Tennessee. Heard has been a primary target for Tennessee since entering the transfer portal on Jan. 2 while the Vols have been viewed as a frontrunner to land the rising sophomore offensive lineman.
Tennessee received a prediction to land the former five-star prospect from 247 Sports’ Matt Zenitz earlier in the week, saying that “the expectation is that former LSU five-star offensive tackle Lance Heard is going to transfer to Tennessee.”
Heard shows up in the UTK student directory as Zalance Earnell Heard, his birth name. The University of Tennessee’s spring classes officially begin on campus this Monday, Jan. 22.
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Tennessee offensive tackle John Campbell Jr. announced that he would be returning for the 2024 season in December and recently posted a video of himself working at right tackle earlier this week. While Heard played right tackle for LSU during his freshman season, Campbell’s work at right tackle could potentially lead to Heard filling in at the vacant left tackle spot on Tennessee’s line.
The 6-foot-6, 340-pound offensive tackle was named to the Freshman All-SEC team this past December after a promising first year with the Tigers’ program. Heard did not play in LSU’s New Year’s Day bowl game and hit the portal on Jan. 2.
247 Sports’ transfer portal rankings have Heard as a four-star prospect and the No. 18 player/No. 3 offensive tackle in their system. If Heard does wind up with the Tennessee football team, he will make for the highest-rated transfer player out of the portal so far this offseason.
“Transitioned from the defensive side of the ball to the right tackle position as a junior, Heard showcases the size, athleticism, and play temperament to develop into an elite level collegiate prospect at the next level,” 247 Sports recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna wrote about Lance Heard as a high school prospect in 2022. “With a 7-foot plus wing span and almost 37-inch arms, the Neville standout’s combination of length and natural athleticism make him one of the more intriguing players in this year’s cycle.”
Heard’s addition to the Tennessee football team would be massive for the 2024 season. Tennessee has a lot riding on the play of second-year quarterback Nico Iamaleava next season and expects to return at least a trio of veteran offensive line pieces in Cooper Mays, John Campbell Jr, and Dayne Davis for their young quarterback. The Vols are still waiting on a decision from OL Javontez Spraggins for the future.
Heard has a family tie to Tennessee, too. Heard’s cousin, Jeremias Heard, is an incoming freshman lineman in the Vols’ program. Jeremias Heard is a talented, raw athlete whose position will become more solidified as he goes through spring and fall workouts with the team.
Lance Heard’s active status in the University of Tennessee student directory does not guarantee that he will land with the Vols’ program but is an indication that the Vols are poised to land the highly touted transfer.
One Response
Just curious why you keep calling him Lance, when his name is Zalance?