Josh Heupel Gives Update on Health of Lance Heard and John Campbell

The Vols have dealt with some injuries on the offensive line. The bye week is a chance for that group to get healthy.

Sep 21, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) throws during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Tennessee's 2024 season is off to a great start, and excitement around the team has never been higher.

Part of the reason for that excitement is because of the improvement of both lines of scrimmage. The defensive line is planning as well as any unit in the country right now, and the Vols' offensive line is strong. However, the offensive line is not nearly as deep as the defensive line is.

The depth of the offensive line was tested against Oklahoma. Starting left tackle Lance Heard has missed the last two games with an injury, while right tackle John Campbell left the Oklahoma game early with an injury.

On Wednesday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel gave an update on Heard and Campbell's availability for the Arkansas game on October 5.

“I feel like we’ll have both those guys when we get to Fayetteville,” Heupel said.

It was a short update but an encouraging one. The Vols need both starting tackles back as soon as possible. There were moments when Tennessee could not protect quarterback Nico Iamaleava, leading to two fumbles that could have changed the game. Tennessee was fortunate that their defense was able to make up for those mistakes by forcing fumbles of their own.

Heupel also commented on the play of Dayne Davis and Larry Johnson, who filled in at the tackle spots against the Sooners.

“There’s a lot of good things that both of those guys did," Heupel said. "There’s some things that we can be cleaner in. Some of that is communication that gets to them. Some of it is them. Structural change that we saw during the course of the football game, too. Those guys being a little bit better adjusting at it. All in all, a lot of really good things. Helped us get a good win. So we got to continue to improve. That’s them and all of us.”

The Vols will need their offensive line to be as healthy as possible now that they have entered conference play. The bye week provides Heard and Campbell with an opportunity to recover in time for Tennessee's first trip to Fayetteville since 2020.

Other Tennessee News:

• Tennessee Moves Into Top Five of AP Poll After Oklahoma Win
• Offensive Grade Report: Tennessee Vs Oklahoma
• Tennessee Defeats Oklahoma 25-15 On The Road
  

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