Tennesse freshman Bennett Warren doesn’t look like your typical freshman.
Standing at 6-foot-7, 342 pounds, the Vols’ first-year offensive lineman immediately makes an impression on you. It’s easy to see on the practice field but impossible not to notice when he walks up in front of a crowd.
Introducing Bennett Warren … who doesn’t look like a freshman.
Four-star offensive tackle is 6-foot-7, 342 pounds debuting in Tennessee practice. pic.twitter.com/cGs7OejuUz
— Adam Sparks (@AdamSparks) August 1, 2024
Warren comes to Tennessee from Fort Bend Christian Academy in Sugar Land, TX, but spent time growing up on the East Coast, with family in South Carolina. Warren was a four-star recruit in the 2024 class and was ranked as the No. 7 offensive tackle in 247sports’ Composite Rankings.
The Vols’ freshman didn’t have the benefit of a true head start at Tennessee, though. Warren ended up staying in Texas through the spring and was one of Tennessee’s summer enrollees after the conclusion of spring camp. While Warren was still able to video call into meetings to learn the playbook, he wasn’t able to go through the same vigorous physical schedule that his teammates were during the course of spring ball.
So Warren took it into his own hands to make sure he got proper training during the spring. Warren’s time spent with Texas performance coaches eventually led him to a surprise meeting with former Tennessee offensive lineman Zach Fulton.
“I’d say there was a little bit of catch up but I spent a lot of time in Zooms with coaches and stuff like that,” Warren said while talking with the media for the first time on Thursday. “Going over plays and learning things like that. And I spent the last couple months working out with my trainers back in Houston, [inaudible] PT and Dominant O-Line [Academy]. Working out with NFL players and a former Vol, actually, named Zach Fulton. I was working to maintain my strength, my cardio, alongside the plays. And then I got here and it all clicked really well. It didn’t feel like much of a terrible jump, I’m obviously still learning, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”
More from RTI: Vols’ Freshman Jeremias Heard Shares Hidden Talent on the Football Field
It wasn’t that Warren was unfamiliar with Fulton’s game at Tennessee. Warren didn’t even know that Fulton went to Tennessee and had walked the path that Warren was now about to begin.
“No, I didn’t,” Warren said with a small chuckle when asked if he knew a lot about Fulton beforehand. “I didn’t even know he was a Vol until I saw him. I was like, ‘That guy is huge.’ Like, made me feel very small. But he was a super cool dude.”
Warren says that Fulton didn’t share too many stories about Tennessee or give too many pointers about the offensive line position. Warren says that the two weren’t together for too long and mainly spent their time together in the gym. The former and current Vols were too busy lighting weights for stories, anyway.
Fulton, a native of Detroit, MI, played football at Tennessee from 2010 to 2013 and started every game for the Vols during his final three years. The Vols’ talented offensive guard was a sixth-round draft pick by the Chiefs in the 2014 draft and played a handful of years in Kansas City. Fulton also spent time with the Texans during his career.
While Tennessee has a very veteran offensive line for the upcoming 2024 season, there will be significant turnover this offseason with spots opening up. Warren projects to continue developing an already stout skillset during his first year with the team and then could challenge for a starting spot down the road. Although a natural left-handed person, Warren has always played the right tackle position and has been stationed there through the first two practices of the fall camp slate.
Tennessee should be high on Warren from everything that the media has seen in a short amount of time around the freshman. He maturely spoke to the media on Wednesday and handled his moment in front of the camera well. Warren stands out on the field with his sheer size and has been soaking up information since stepping foot on campus.
And while he’s still getting to know everyone in the Tennessee facility, he’ll always have a former Vol to call up (or hit the weights with) if needed.
“He said he loved [Tennessee],” Warren said of Fulton. “You know, still in his bio, ‘VFL’ and all that. It makes you feel good about the place if a guy graduated so years ago can still call it a home.”
