Lance Heard, offensive line, coming together in spring
The Tennessee offensive line has been a solid unit under head coach Josh Heupel during his tenure in Knoxville with offensive line coach Glen Elarbee. This spring, the basis of the group will once again need to be formed and it’s off to a good start after one week.
Offensive linemen Lance Heard, John Campbell and Dayne Davis took time on Monday afternoon to speak to the media on the growth of the group thus far into spring practice.
One of the biggest pieces for the projected offensive line this fall is the addition of offensive tackle Lance Heard from LSU. It’s only been a week on the practice field, but the former five-star prospect is beginning to feel more at home in the Tennessee offense.
“It’s definitely slowing down,” the sophomore said of the offense. “It’s more of a fast-paced offense and I’m picking it up. It’s been slowing down more for me.”
Last week, offensive coordinator Joey Halzle spoke on Heard’s physical makeup and how he’s impressive and fun to work with.
“Lance, when you look at him physically really big guy, he could move really well. All the athletic traits are there that you want. All the physical traits are there that you want smart kids picking things up quickly. It’s just for him transitioning to playing with tempo and understanding the way we play. That’s always what it is. Whenever a guy comes in, no matter how much experience they have at another university, transitioning to the way we play just takes a little bit. So, he’s pushing through it and he’s doing a good job.”
With the addition of Heard, John Campbell flipped to the right side of the offensive line. As the days go on, the process is becoming easier for the veteran.
“The transition has been smooth. I’ve been going through it and trusting the coaches with everything they’ve been telling me. When it came up [the switch] – I’m just a team guy,” Campbell said of the mindset. “I’ll do whatever for the team and help the team grow. Anything I can do, I’m here to help. It’s fine with me – I’m just here for the team.”
Davis is another veteran for this Tennessee offensive line. The in-state senior has played just about every position on the offensive line for the Vols throughout his tenure, but has put an emphasis on guard this spring.
“Guard, I like it a lot. Being 6-foot-7 makes it challenging sometimes. You’ve got Big E [Elijah Simmons] in there – whatever height he is and about 350 [pounds],” Davis laughed. “Rolling off the ball like a boulder, it can get tough sometimes. You’ve got to play lower at guard and contact is a lot quicker. You can’t play as high at guard and can’t play as many games at guard as it is straight contact. It’s beefy inside. You’ve got to be fast, play low and get under the pads.”
Tennessee will be OFF on Tuesday and return to work Wednesday at Neyland Stadium for the first scrimmage of the spring session.
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