Two of the five starting jobs on Tennessee football's offensive line are up for grabs.
Center Sam Pendleton, guard Wendell Moe Jr. and tackle David Sanders are safe bets to start the season opener against Furman at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5.
But Josh Heupel and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee have some critical decisions to make about the right side of the line. As of right now, LSU transfer tackle Ory Williams is battling for their attention.
"I would definitely say there’s urgency but you control what you can control," Williams said Aug. 11. "I just try to go out there and put the best tape on film and hopefully at the end of camp, I’ve got that job.”
Tennessee lost starting left tackle Lance Heard and backup Bennett Warren to the transfer
portal. After their departures, Williams became the second transfer to commit to the Vols, after Kansas State nickelback Qua Moss, during the first week of January.
Williams, a former three-star recruit coming out of Sam Marcos High School in Texas, looks the part of an SEC lineman. The 6-foot-8, 330-pound former high school basketball standout is entering his junior year but has limited experience. He appeared in 14 games and made two starts over two years at LSU. Transferring to Tennessee gave him a chance to climb the depth chart quickly and he's used his opportunities well so far.
"Where I came from, I wasn’t the starter, I wasn’t the first guy," Williams said. "So being here, getting more reps, getting to feel the game and the speed and the tempo, I feel like it’s made me better.”
Elarbee still wants to see Williams show more of a mean streak and play with more physicality. But Elarbee has been impressed with how his newest transfer tackle has picked up the scheme and fundamentals as Williams moves from playing primarily left tackle to right.
“He’s still having some mental errors that he’s got to fix, but fundamentally, understanding, he’s come a long, long way with that," Elarbee said. "Now it’s just, with snap decisions, you’ve got to be right 100% of the time instead of 90% of the time.”
In transferring to Tennessee, Williams joined a deep and competitive unit, one that gives Elarbee a wealth of options to fill out his starting lineup. So it won't be easy for Williams to break into that top unit.
"He understands that it is a battle and there are guys that are trying to go start and if (he’s) not getting reps, then it’s not a good thing. That’s starting to piss him off," Elarbee said. "He’s learning the importance of this game and how every detail matters and how serious it is. I love it. I love to see his growth."
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How LSU transfer Ory Williams is trying to prove himself in Tennessee OL competition
