Football in Tennessee: Will the Vols’ offensive line gain depth with Nathan Niehaus’ departure?
In his Wednesday media session, Jeremy Pruitt gave Tennessee football fans the worst news possible regarding Emmit Gooden’s season-ending injury. In addition, he gave further information that appears to be a blow to the offensive lineman Nathan Niehaus’s trenches.
Niehaus has chosen, according to Pruitt, to discontinue the program. The former lineman started six games last season and has experience at guard and tackle. Niehaus responded, “Oh yeah,” when asked if the decisions were his. Indeed.
This looks like a significant blow on paper. Last season, the Vols already had an offensive line that was historically poor. Trey Smith’s blood clots haven’t gone away yet. Injuries forced Eric Crosby and new signing Melvin McBride to retire. That also holds true for Chance Hall, a consistent contributor. Another valuable player, Drew Richmond, has transferred to the USC Trojans.
Tennessee football would therefore not seem to be in a good position to lose offensive linemen who have started. This could, however, indicate that something better is occurring sooner than we think. It also draws from other occurrences.
Pruitt had a historically excellent class up front, even with McBride’s retirement: four-stars Chris Akporoghene, Jackson Lampley, and Wanya Morris, and five-star Darnell Wright. Early enrollees Morris and Akproghene made their way onto the first team in the spring game; Morris was once unanimously rated as a five-star recruit.
When you factor in Brandon Kennedy’s recovery, K’Rojhn Calbert’s rise, and Jerome Carvin’s probable development, the Vols may have a few more options up front than most people realize. Because of this, you might want to leave the team if you find yourself in the middle of the pack.
Is this possible for Niehaus? It was a significant event that he ended up on the second team during the spring game. Riley Locklear, a guard who missed time in the spring because of an injury, was also placed on the second team. Perhaps the inner line is really starting to emerge.
What if Niehaus leaves because he believes that with Kennedy back at center, Ryan Johnson moving back to guard and Locklear, Calbert, and Carvin ahead of him will push him too far down the depth chart? Could the junior redshirt prefer to use his remaining two years of eligibility for something else? Hey, there’s a good chance.
To be fair, at 6’6″ and 300 pounds, he has experience as a guard and tackle. But what if Marcus Tatum, another veteran, keeps a spot at tackle and Morris and Wright are just making a big impression? With all those bodies, one would think that an excessive amount of competition building would be the only reason a redshirt junior with starting experience would leave the team.
Hey, it’s feasible. It might also be instructive. Don’t get me wrong, with regard to Gooden’s injury, the news for Rocky Top for the day is still pretty bad. However, Niehaus’ departure might not have the negative effects on Tennessee football that we believe. All of us will just have to wait and find out.
