Tennessee Loses Second OL for Season due to Injury during Fall Camp

Written by Ryan Wright

Expectations are high for the Tennessee Volunteers entering the 2015 college football season. Before fall camp began the Vols had nine starters returning on offense and eight on defense from a 7-6 squad a year ago. Tennessee is already down one starter after the loss of senior left guard Marcus Jackson last week and now a second blow to the team’s front line depth has been dealt with redshirt sophomore Austin Sanders suffering a season ending injury.

Head coach Butch Jones announced Sanders was out for the year on Thursday after suffering a torn biceps tendon in practice that will require surgery to fix. Sanders, a backup at both guard positions, was blocking during a play with his arm extended when the tendon tore.

Although a strength of the team with four of five starters returning on the offensive line, the Vols’ line was not a solid unit in 2014 allowing 43 sacks for a loss of 305 yards on the season. The rushing attack averaged a meager 3.6 yards per carry putting a greater emphasis on the unit gelling in fall camp and entering the season with a nasty demeanor when the season opens against Bowling Green on Sept. 5.

Offensive line coach Don Mahoney could lean on the 2015 recruiting class for immediate help in 3-star signee Chance Hall (Roanoke, VA) and 4-star Jack Jones (Murfreesboro, TN). Backup center Dylan Wiesman is another candidate to rotate into the two-deep at guard.

Photo credit: knownews.com; No. 60 Austin Sanders stretches during a Vols’ practice.