University of Tennessee Athletics
Experienced Offensive Line A Strength As Vols Conclude Spring Week 1
March 21, 2026 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's experienced offensive line is a massive strength this spring as the Volunteers return four of five starters and multiple talented depth players. The unit wrapped up its first week of spring practice in shells on Saturday afternoon at Haslam Field.Â
Freshman All-America David Sanders Jr. enters his second season and makes the move from right tackle to left tackle. Redshirt junior Sam Pendleton, a former Notre Dame transfer, returns as the starting center.
In January, the Vols brought in two transfers in Ory Williams (LSU), who is manning right tackle and Donovan Haslam (West Virginia), who is working at guard. Guard is a loaded position for Tennessee, a unit that is highlighted by 2025 first-team All-SEC recipient Wendell Moe Jr. Contributing starters Jesse Perry and Shamurad Umarov also return at guard. The entire offensive line group owns a combined 101 career starts at the collegiate level.Â
"You get into some of the details earlier than we did last year," offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said of his experience. "Last year, it was about trying to make sure everybody knew where to go and getting as much technique and, obviously, the effort. I feel like we're able to be a little bit more advanced, faster. Because of those guys, it's kind of helped accelerate some of the young guys too, because they can pick up on it faster as they see it happen. They know what it should look like."
Sanders' presence is noticeably stronger under the direction of new Director of Sports Performance Derek Owings. He started six games as a true freshman after coming in as the No. 1 five-star high school offensive tackle prospect in the country.Â
"(Derek Owings) has done an unreal job with those guys, like insane," Elarbee said. "He (Sanders) was, for a true freshman, very powerful. Now, he's at a different level. The body weight is even better. You see it at practice, one-on-ones. He's just so much more dominant, can anchor a lot easier, can create even more movement in the run game. It's fun to watch. We just have to keep it going."
"I feel a lot more comfortable this year, a lot more prepared," Sanders said. "I feel a lot more confident going out each day for practice, being able to execute my job at a high level. I feel a lot stronger, a lot bigger, a lot more explosive this year. Obviously, I am on the left side now. That's where I am more comfortable at anyway. My kick step has been better. My reaction time has been better. My communication with my guard has been a lot better as well."
Moe Jr. is working his way back from a lower body injury that he sustained in the Vanderbilt regular season finale. The former Arizona transfer owns 38 career starts and played 689 snaps for Tennessee last fall.Â
Saturday marked the conclusion of the annual Coaches Clinic with dozens of high school coaches from around the region in attendance. Â Emmy-Award winning ESPN and Amazon Prime analyst Kirk Herbstreit was the keynote speaker on Friday.Â
The Vols will kick off Week 2 with their first full pads practice on Monday followed by an individual practice on Wednesday and their first scrimmage on Thursday in Neyland Stadium. The practices and scrimmage are closed to the public.Â
Tennessee Football Press Conference | March 21, 2026
Offensive Line Coach Glen Elarbee
Â
On how he approaches this spring with an abundance of veteran returners…
"You get into some of the details earlier than we did last year. Last year, it was about trying to make sure everybody knew where to go and getting as much technique and, obviously, the effort. I feel like we're able to be a little bit more advanced, faster. Because of those guys, it's kind of helped accelerate some of the young guys too, because they can pick up on it faster as they see it happen. They know what it should look like."
Â
On Ory Williams' evaluation so far…
"Super talented guy. Great foot speed, length. Really intelligent, understands what we're trying to do schematically. I'm probably on his butt about some physicality in the run game a little bit. I think he did that today. He kind of rose to that challenge. I'm excited. He's a fun guy to be around. Has a great, positive attitude. Fun in the meeting room. With the guys, he's come in and hasn't skipped a beat. I'm looking forward to continuing to see where we can push him, where we can get him to and how he can help us."
On Ory Williams staying at right tackle…
"For right this second, yes sir."
Â
On Jesse Perry's strengths at right tackle and a right guard…
"Both of them, he is just such a technician, such a student of the game. He just sees the looks that happen. For a young guy, like a general on the field. He provides a great check and balance for Sam [Pendleton] with calls and IDs. It doesn't matter if he's at guard or tackle. He just sees it and knows how to react. At tackle, I thought he did a phenomenal job. He's probably, at the next level, maybe he's a tackle, potentially going inside. I think it's good for him to be able to do both and have that position flexibility, where when that time comes, let them decide where they want to put him. As far as for us, we are still at that point where he could be inside, he could be outside. It's really what the best five are that will go on the field for us."
On playing Jesse Perry and Donovan Haslam at different positions throughout spring practice…
"Jesse is getting some tackle reps, right now. With spring and the way the reps have fallen, he hasn't gotten as many as he needed to. I know today, he got some on the inside and some in a team set. He'll continue to do that, just so he is sharp at both. Donovan, early on, was playing both sides for us. Kind of tried to let him settle in a little bit these first few days, just at right. For sure though, you have to have the position flexibility to play left and right as we go, and he understands that."
Â
On the transition for David Sanders Jr. from right to left tackle and the expectations for him now with a year under his belt…
"The technique, the adjustment to filling left tackle was super easy. Just like what you said – he's done so much of it, I don't think it was an issue at all. I think he feels way more confident. I was joking with him at lunch the other day, like 'man, do you feel like an old guy now?' He goes, 'yeah, because I run out on the field, you call a play and I know exactly what to do.' So, I think that's helped him in spring, just having the full concept, and now it's cleaning up technique. In every facet of it, run game. He's such a gifted pass protector, but there's still some things he can do there and now that he's just … it's slowed down for him. It's what naturally happens when you're a second-year player. Now he's kind of an older guy, continuing to push the leadership piece of it too. People gravitate to him naturally, because of who he is. So just technique and leadership."
Â
On how David Sanders Jr.'s strength affects his explosiveness…
"(Derek Owings) has done an unreal job with those guys, like insane. He was, for a true freshman, very powerful. Now, he's at a different level. The body weight is even better. You see it at practice, one-on-ones, he's just so much more dominant, can anchor a lot easier, can create even more movement in the run game. It's fun to watch, just have to keep it going."
Â
On working with freshman tackles Gabriel Osenda and Kamari Blair…
"Man, I've been really, really happy with all three of our young guys. For three true freshman taking as many reps as they've had – typically you put in three freshmen and it's kind of like, watch out. They've executed. Again, that goes back to those older guys they've seen go do it, so the learning process happens a little faster. As far as Gabe and Kamari specifically, they are dialed. They take great notes, they work at it everyday, they have a great attitude, they want to get better at the things that you ask and I've been really, really pleased with both of them. (Ed Baker) too. They've been a good young bunch."
Â
On how some second-year players progressed over the past year…
"(Nic Moore), super talented. He's done a great job, so much more consistent. Again, everything has just slowed down for him. He's powerful. In the run game, he can create movement, he can anchor. I'm excited. He's done a great job, so he'll take a few more reps this spring. He's done a good job with it. (Antoni Ogumoro), same thing. He's taking steps, everything has slowed down. There's not an assignment, it's lets go focus on technique, and coaching young guys, they've both done a good job trying to help. Both of those guys have done a phenomenal job."
On what his group needs to accomplish this spring from a physical standpoint…
"I think the biggest thing is, I felt like at the start of last year, we were – you always want to be better – but we were pretty solid, and I felt like us pushing through at the end of the year, like, the gas let out a little bit. (Derek Owings) has hammered those dudes. Today, a little bit warmer, a little bit more reps. We got a little bit tired, but man, they're building that gas tank. Building that effort, that strain, kind of building that gas tank to where, hopefully we'll be able to go finish. I think that's the biggest thing that I want to see out of it. And then, just the overall strength, being able to play a little bit heavier, a little bit stronger, create a little bit more movement in the run game. So those would be the biggest two areas."
Â
Freshman All-America David Sanders Jr. enters his second season and makes the move from right tackle to left tackle. Redshirt junior Sam Pendleton, a former Notre Dame transfer, returns as the starting center.
In January, the Vols brought in two transfers in Ory Williams (LSU), who is manning right tackle and Donovan Haslam (West Virginia), who is working at guard. Guard is a loaded position for Tennessee, a unit that is highlighted by 2025 first-team All-SEC recipient Wendell Moe Jr. Contributing starters Jesse Perry and Shamurad Umarov also return at guard. The entire offensive line group owns a combined 101 career starts at the collegiate level.Â
"You get into some of the details earlier than we did last year," offensive line coach Glen Elarbee said of his experience. "Last year, it was about trying to make sure everybody knew where to go and getting as much technique and, obviously, the effort. I feel like we're able to be a little bit more advanced, faster. Because of those guys, it's kind of helped accelerate some of the young guys too, because they can pick up on it faster as they see it happen. They know what it should look like."
Sanders' presence is noticeably stronger under the direction of new Director of Sports Performance Derek Owings. He started six games as a true freshman after coming in as the No. 1 five-star high school offensive tackle prospect in the country.Â
"(Derek Owings) has done an unreal job with those guys, like insane," Elarbee said. "He (Sanders) was, for a true freshman, very powerful. Now, he's at a different level. The body weight is even better. You see it at practice, one-on-ones. He's just so much more dominant, can anchor a lot easier, can create even more movement in the run game. It's fun to watch. We just have to keep it going."
"I feel a lot more comfortable this year, a lot more prepared," Sanders said. "I feel a lot more confident going out each day for practice, being able to execute my job at a high level. I feel a lot stronger, a lot bigger, a lot more explosive this year. Obviously, I am on the left side now. That's where I am more comfortable at anyway. My kick step has been better. My reaction time has been better. My communication with my guard has been a lot better as well."
Moe Jr. is working his way back from a lower body injury that he sustained in the Vanderbilt regular season finale. The former Arizona transfer owns 38 career starts and played 689 snaps for Tennessee last fall.Â
Saturday marked the conclusion of the annual Coaches Clinic with dozens of high school coaches from around the region in attendance. Â Emmy-Award winning ESPN and Amazon Prime analyst Kirk Herbstreit was the keynote speaker on Friday.Â
The Vols will kick off Week 2 with their first full pads practice on Monday followed by an individual practice on Wednesday and their first scrimmage on Thursday in Neyland Stadium. The practices and scrimmage are closed to the public.Â
Tennessee Football Press Conference | March 21, 2026
Offensive Line Coach Glen Elarbee
Â
On how he approaches this spring with an abundance of veteran returners…
"You get into some of the details earlier than we did last year. Last year, it was about trying to make sure everybody knew where to go and getting as much technique and, obviously, the effort. I feel like we're able to be a little bit more advanced, faster. Because of those guys, it's kind of helped accelerate some of the young guys too, because they can pick up on it faster as they see it happen. They know what it should look like."
Â
On Ory Williams' evaluation so far…
"Super talented guy. Great foot speed, length. Really intelligent, understands what we're trying to do schematically. I'm probably on his butt about some physicality in the run game a little bit. I think he did that today. He kind of rose to that challenge. I'm excited. He's a fun guy to be around. Has a great, positive attitude. Fun in the meeting room. With the guys, he's come in and hasn't skipped a beat. I'm looking forward to continuing to see where we can push him, where we can get him to and how he can help us."
On Ory Williams staying at right tackle…
"For right this second, yes sir."
Â
On Jesse Perry's strengths at right tackle and a right guard…
"Both of them, he is just such a technician, such a student of the game. He just sees the looks that happen. For a young guy, like a general on the field. He provides a great check and balance for Sam [Pendleton] with calls and IDs. It doesn't matter if he's at guard or tackle. He just sees it and knows how to react. At tackle, I thought he did a phenomenal job. He's probably, at the next level, maybe he's a tackle, potentially going inside. I think it's good for him to be able to do both and have that position flexibility, where when that time comes, let them decide where they want to put him. As far as for us, we are still at that point where he could be inside, he could be outside. It's really what the best five are that will go on the field for us."
On playing Jesse Perry and Donovan Haslam at different positions throughout spring practice…
"Jesse is getting some tackle reps, right now. With spring and the way the reps have fallen, he hasn't gotten as many as he needed to. I know today, he got some on the inside and some in a team set. He'll continue to do that, just so he is sharp at both. Donovan, early on, was playing both sides for us. Kind of tried to let him settle in a little bit these first few days, just at right. For sure though, you have to have the position flexibility to play left and right as we go, and he understands that."
Â
On the transition for David Sanders Jr. from right to left tackle and the expectations for him now with a year under his belt…
"The technique, the adjustment to filling left tackle was super easy. Just like what you said – he's done so much of it, I don't think it was an issue at all. I think he feels way more confident. I was joking with him at lunch the other day, like 'man, do you feel like an old guy now?' He goes, 'yeah, because I run out on the field, you call a play and I know exactly what to do.' So, I think that's helped him in spring, just having the full concept, and now it's cleaning up technique. In every facet of it, run game. He's such a gifted pass protector, but there's still some things he can do there and now that he's just … it's slowed down for him. It's what naturally happens when you're a second-year player. Now he's kind of an older guy, continuing to push the leadership piece of it too. People gravitate to him naturally, because of who he is. So just technique and leadership."
Â
On how David Sanders Jr.'s strength affects his explosiveness…
"(Derek Owings) has done an unreal job with those guys, like insane. He was, for a true freshman, very powerful. Now, he's at a different level. The body weight is even better. You see it at practice, one-on-ones, he's just so much more dominant, can anchor a lot easier, can create even more movement in the run game. It's fun to watch, just have to keep it going."
Â
On working with freshman tackles Gabriel Osenda and Kamari Blair…
"Man, I've been really, really happy with all three of our young guys. For three true freshman taking as many reps as they've had – typically you put in three freshmen and it's kind of like, watch out. They've executed. Again, that goes back to those older guys they've seen go do it, so the learning process happens a little faster. As far as Gabe and Kamari specifically, they are dialed. They take great notes, they work at it everyday, they have a great attitude, they want to get better at the things that you ask and I've been really, really pleased with both of them. (Ed Baker) too. They've been a good young bunch."
Â
On how some second-year players progressed over the past year…
"(Nic Moore), super talented. He's done a great job, so much more consistent. Again, everything has just slowed down for him. He's powerful. In the run game, he can create movement, he can anchor. I'm excited. He's done a great job, so he'll take a few more reps this spring. He's done a good job with it. (Antoni Ogumoro), same thing. He's taking steps, everything has slowed down. There's not an assignment, it's lets go focus on technique, and coaching young guys, they've both done a good job trying to help. Both of those guys have done a phenomenal job."
On what his group needs to accomplish this spring from a physical standpoint…
"I think the biggest thing is, I felt like at the start of last year, we were – you always want to be better – but we were pretty solid, and I felt like us pushing through at the end of the year, like, the gas let out a little bit. (Derek Owings) has hammered those dudes. Today, a little bit warmer, a little bit more reps. We got a little bit tired, but man, they're building that gas tank. Building that effort, that strain, kind of building that gas tank to where, hopefully we'll be able to go finish. I think that's the biggest thing that I want to see out of it. And then, just the overall strength, being able to play a little bit heavier, a little bit stronger, create a little bit more movement in the run game. So those would be the biggest two areas."
Â
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/ FootballFB | Ory Williams Media Availability (3.21.26)
Saturday, March 21
FB | David Sanders Jr. Media Availability (3.21.26)
Saturday, March 21
FB | Sam Pendleton Media Availability (3.21.26)
Saturday, March 21
FB | Glen Elarbee Press Conference (3.21.26)
Saturday, March 21
