Projecting Tennessee Football’s Depth Chart At Start Of Spring Practice

Tennessee football opens up spring practice on Monday morning as Josh Heupel’s third Volunteer team takes the practice field for their first team work.

The Vols added eight players in the transfer portal earlier this offseason, returned a number of veteran key starters and is looking for a handful of returning players to step up into a bigger role.

So with that, let’s do our best to project what the Vols’ depth chart will look like when they take the field for their season opener against Chattanooga.

Bold = Returning Starter. Italics = Newcomer

Offense

Quarterback

1. Rs-Fr. Nico Iamaleava
2. Rs-Jr. Gaston Moore
3. Fr. Jake Merklinger

Running Back

1. Jr. Dylan Sampson
2. So. Cameron Seldon
3. So. Khalifa Keith

Receiver

1. S-Sr. Bru McCoy — will miss spring practice with injury
2. Jr. Chas Nimrod
3. Jr. Kaleb Webb

Slot Receiver

1. Jr. Squirrel White
2. Fr. Mike Matthews
3. Jr. Chas Nimrod

Receiver

1. Rs-So. Chris Brazzell II
2. Sr. Dont’e Thornton
3. Fr. Braylon Staley

Tight End

1. Jr. Holden Staes
2. Rs-Fr. Ethan Davis
3. Sr. Miles Kitselman

Left Tackle

1. So. Zalance Heard
2. S-Sr. Dayne Davis
3. Jr. Larry Johnson III

Left Guard

1. Jr. Andrej Karic
2. S-Sr. Jackson Lampley
3. R-Fr. Ayden Bussell

Center

1. S-Sr. Cooper Mays
2. Rs-Fr. Vysen Lang
3. S-Sr. Dayne Davis

Right Guard

1. S-Sr. Javontez Spraggins
2. S-Sr. Jackson Lampley
3. Fr. Gage Ginther

Right Tackle

1. S-Sr. John Campbell Jr.
2. S-Sr. Dayne Davis
3. R-Fr. Sham Umarov

More From RTI: The Future Of Tennessee Football’s Quarterback Room Is In Good Hands

Defensive

LEO

1. Jr. James Pearce Jr.
2. Jr. Josh Josephs
3. So. Caleb Herring

Defensive Tackle

1. S-Sr. Omari Thomas
2. S-Sr. Elijah Simmons
3. So. Daevin Hobbs

Defensive Tackle

1. R-Sr. Bryson Eason
2. R-Sr. Omarr Norman-Lott
3. Jr. Jaxson Moi

Defensive End

1. Jr. Tyre West
2. Rs-Sr. Dominic Bailey
3. So. Josh Josephs

MLB

1. S-Sr. Keenan Pili — started season opener before suffering season ending injury
2. So. Jeremiah Telander
3. Fr. Edwin Spillman

WLB

1. So. Arion Carter
2. Jr. Elijah Herring 
3. Jr. Kalib Perry

Cornerback

1. So. Rickey Gibson III
2. So. Jordan Matthews
3. Fr. Kaleb Beasley

Cornerback

1. So. Jermod McCoy
2. Rs-Jr. Jalen McMurray
3. So. Cristian Conyer

STAR

1. Jr. Jourdan Thomas
2. Jr. Jakobe Thomas
3. R-Sr. Will Brooks

Safety

1. Rs-Jr. Andre Turrentine
2. Fr. Boo Carter
3. Sr. Christian Conyer

Safety

1. Jr. Jakobe Thomas
2. So. John Slaughter
3. Rs-Jr. Jalen McMurray