One of the most important players on Tennessee football’s roster entering the 2024 season is LSU offensive tackle transfer Lance Heard.
After the Vols lost starting right tackle Gerald Mincey to the transfer portal last offseason, Josh Heupel and his staff went out and landed one of the top two offensive tackles in the transfer portal. Heard landed on the Freshman All-SEC team a season ago after playing 195 snaps in fives games at right tackle a season ago.
But LSU’s returning starters at offensive tackle blocked Heard from earning a starting spot in Baton Rouge in his sophomore season. Due to those circumstances, Heard entered the transfer portal back in December. The media asked LSU head coach Brian Kelly about losing Heard to the portal during SEC Media Days on Monday and Kelly addressed the loss while being complimentary of Heard.
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“You don’t want to lose anybody in your program that you’ve recruited, but there are times within your program you present what the situation is and if it’s not agreeable to both sides you have to move on,” Kelly said. “We wish him the best and hope that he has great success. He’s a good kid. He gets a chance to play at a SEC school that will give him a high profile and an opportunity to have great success.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t work out. It doesn’t mean anybody is at fault as much as we hope that he has great success where he is.”
After playing right tackle in his freshman season, Heard is sliding over to the left side of the offensive line and start at left tackle in his first season at Tennessee. With Heard at left tackle and John Campbell Jr. at right tackle, the Vols have two solid offensive tackles.
However, depth is a major concern for Tennessee across the offensive line but especially at offensive tackle where redshirt senior Dayne Davis is the only Volunteer offensive tackle with any meaningful game experience.
Tennessee football takes center stage at SEC Media Days on Tuesday with Josh Heupel and center Cooper Mays, defensive tackle Omari Thomas and linebacker Keenan Pili representing the program.
