Eight Tennessee offensive linemen have played in the first half of the Vols’ first two games of the 2023 season including a handful playing multiple positions.
But Cooper Mays, the lynchpin of Tennessee’s offensive line, has yet to make his season debut. The senior center underwent a minor procedure on Aug. 9 and while he dressed out and went through warmups in Tennessee’s win over Austin Peay, Mays has yet to make his season debut.
While the Vols didn’t badly need Mays against Virginia and Austin Peay, the schedule toughens starting this weekend when Tennessee opens up SEC play at Florida. Heupel is hoping and provided some optimism that Tennessee could get its starting center back against Florida but made no guarantees Monday.
“He was with us last week. Warmed up with us (before the Austin Peay game),” Heupel said. “We made a decision pretty early in the week that he probably would not play in that football game and anticipate him having a good week of practice here and being ready.”
Tennessee has played two different centers in the first two games of the season. Senior guard Ollie Lane started at center both games while senior tackle Dayne Davis also played double digit snaps at center in each of the Vols’ first two games.
The Vols’ depth chart lists Lane as a co-starter at left guard and he’s expected to start between Mays and left tackle John Campbell Jr. when Tennessee’s starting center returns.
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Continuity is often a common talking point along offensive line play but Heupel and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee have largely thrown it aside. Gerald Mincey and Jeremiah Crawford split time at left tackle throughout the 2022 season and Tennessee has played a myriad of offensive linemen in its first two games.
Heupel suggested last week that Tennessee will continue to rotate offensive linemen and noted Monday that he wasn’t worried about a lack of continuity if Mays is able to play.
“If he’s playing, we have great confidence that he’s going to play at the level that he wants to and we need him to, too,” Heupel said.
Tennessee is looking for its second straight win over Florida after knocking off the Gators last season in Knoxville. The Vols haven’t won two straight over their SEC east rival since 2003-04 with the ’03 game marking Tennessee’s last win in Gainesville.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m. ET Saturday night in Gainesville. Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit and Holly Rowe are on the call for ESPN.
