Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
There are a few position groups on this Tennessee football team that we’re still not quite sure how good they will be. The offensive line is not one of them.
The national consensus is that the Volunteer offensive line will be among the nation’s elite, with Roc Boys Football ranking the Vols as the second-best unit in the country.
The unit returns four of its five starters from last season, with Lance Heard (Kentucky) being its lone departure. With that spot now open, West Virginia transfer Donovan Haslam appears to be making a strong case to claim it.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 345 pounds, the offensive lineman appeared in 12 games for the Mountaineers last season, starting the final five at left guard. Those starts came against TCU, Houston, Colorado, Arizona State and Texas Tech, with a season-high 83 snaps coming against the Colorado Buffaloes.
Haslam played 444 snaps last season and did not allow a single sack or quarterback hit. He is a product of Perry High School in Perry, Georgia, where he helped lead the school to the 4A state quarterfinals in 2021.
Coming into Tennessee, Haslam has quickly made an impression on the coaching staff, especially offensive line coach Glen Elarbee:
“Absolutely the most physical dude since I’ve been here. Not even a question. He’s violent. Like, violent. That’s his superpower.”
“Everyone cheers for him. It’s cool to see.”
If Haslam were to ultimately win the job, whoever wins the Tennessee quarterback battle should feel extremely safe on that side of the pocket.
According to Rocky Top Talk's August 12th report, Haslam and Sham Umarov appear to be competing for the starting right guard spot.
Good competition builds elite competitors, and for an already highly touted Tennessee offensive line, that is nothing but a cherry on the top of an enormous ice cream sundae.
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