Tennessee football: 5 breakout players to watch in 2020

If Tennessee plans to usurp the Florida Gators and the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC East hierarchy, the Vols must continue to win on the recruiting trails and especially along the offensive line. Tennessee landed a bona fide five-star recruit in the 2019 cycle in offensive lineman Darnell Wright. This is the year he becomes one of the best offensive linemen in the entire SEC.

Wright is all of 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds. The Huntington, West Virginia native was the No. 1 player from his state, the No. 2 offensive tackle in his high school class and the No. 10 overall player from 2019. As a true freshman at Tennessee, Wright started seven games for the Vols (five at right tackle and two at right guard), en route to making the Freshman All-SEC Team.

With Wright coming to Tennessee, this was an early sign that things were changing under Pruitt. Tennessee used to get rag dolled in the trenches throughout most of the Butch Jones era in Rocky Top. Given that Pruitt is such a phenomenal recruiter, it was only going to be a matter of time before his staff really started to find itself on the recruiting trails.

If Wright pops in year two with the Vols in a big way like we think he’s capable of, maybe this helps Tennessee get an extra win in a tight ball game vs. an SEC foe? Star offensive linemen aren’t worth a point in the line of a football game. However, it’s arguably the most impactful position on the football field outside of quarterback. Without a quality offensive line, what is a team’s identity?