Why Tennessee Vols' improvement under Jeremy Pruitt could begin with offensive line

When you lose eight games in a season, there’s room for improvement in every area. But if you could pick one unit where progress would be the most crucial, what would you pick?

The Vols surely need to get better at quarterback and wide receiver. And you have to wonder if they would have the wherewithal in the secondary to fare well against any of the talented receivers they will face in 2018.

Nonetheless, my choice would be the offensive line — for a multitude of reasons.

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A vastly improved UT offensive line would make everybody around it better. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano wouldn’t have to worry as much about being planted in the turf following each pass. Wide receivers would have sufficient time to run their routes. And running backs might occasionally find openings that wouldn’t be shut hard and fast by opposing defenders.

Tennessee’s defense, which helped its last five conference opponents to an average of 40 points, could benefit, too, from every moment its offensive comrades can keep it off the field.

Also, there are substantial gains to be made in a group that’s not without potential, despite the mayhem that was perpetrated against it in 2017. Last season’s line was so riddled with injuries, it was almost unrecognizable from early September to late November.

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Although I realize Tennessee fans are weary of hearing how many four-star recruits Butch Jones signed (with so little to show for it), I can’t resist pointing out that UT will return four offensive linemen who were assigned four stars by at least two recruiting services and two more who received at least one four-star recommendation from recruiting services.

Maybe, new offensive line coach Will Friend can make something out of all those stars.

Another reason to be more optimistic about the offensive line is the return of Trey Smith, who excelled at both guard and tackle while making freshman All-American. No matter where you position him, he’s the best player on the team.

If former starting offensive tackle Chance Hall makes a healthy return from injury, that would be another plus. Then, you have Drew Richmond, a consensus four-star recruit who missed the last four games with injury. But even when he was healthy and starting, his performances were hardly exceptional.

Ryan Johnson, another consensus four-star recruit, made the most of UT’s offensive line injuries. He was forced into a starting role at guard as a redshirt freshman and did OK. He could further help the Vols if he could fill the vacancy at center, previously manned by veterans Jashon Robertson and Coleman Thomas.

Recruits could make a difference, too. The Vols signed four offensive linemen in the early signing period. That includes four-star offensive tackle Jerome Carvin and three-star junior college offensive tackle Jahmir Johnson.

Combine the new signees with the experienced players on hand, a great anchor in Smith, and a new position coach and you have the makings of a much better offensive line. That’s a good place to start in plotting a better course for Tennessee football.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.