Evaluating Tennessee Football Transfer Portal Addition Ory Williams

What will the Tennessee Volunteers be getting out of their first transfer addition on the offensive side of the football?

Ory Williams in an LSU uniform | Ory William

Ory Williams has announced that he is transferring to the Tennessee Volunteers just after 24 hours following a prediction that named the Vols as the team to beat. He is the first offensive portal commit for the Vols, and he is the second overall commit out of the portal, following behind Qua Moss.

The Vols will be getting someone they hope to be a starter, but will that be the case? Let's take a full dive into the evaluation of his high school football tape, as he hasn't had much film released from his college experience thus far.

Evaluation

Ory Williams | Ory Williams

Vision: He will play the tackle position very well with his vision, as he is someone who has shown that he is great at picking up the stunt blitzes that he may see. He also does a solid job at being able to put himself in the best position quickly due to his vision that will catch things faster than others may be able to. This is one of his better traits that he has shown, and he is someone who will be able to help Tennessee in this department down the stretch.

Working Down Field: While there are some areas of his run blocking that he will need to improve on, he is someone who has shown that he can work down the field and chip block. A lot of the times you will see this on inside schemes with the guard. He is someone who absolutely can attack the linebackers on the outside, which will create a path for bigger runs from the running backs.

Working Laterally: He is quick, so his lateral movements will likely stand out the most. He is very solid when working through his lateral progressions and can use his speed to stop any outside moves from an edge rusher. As long as he doesn't over-commit with his speed, he will be just fine, but even in high school, he understood he was a fast prospect for an OT. He didn't overcommit very much, which allowed him to work back to the inside if needed.

Things That Can Improve

Davy Crockett runs the Power T flag across the end zone after a Tennessee touchdown during a college football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 13, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Getting Low: Oftentimes, you would see him not get low on the offensive line, which it is safe to say the low man wins. He didn't establish the greatest base in high school, which I am sure was fixed by the LSU staff. If not, there will be a big issue when it comes to him facing the bull rush of others. Anyone with a bad base is liable to get blown up.

Run Blocking: In terms of run blocking and pass blocking, it will be his run blocking that will need the most work. This could be something that keeps him from seeing the field as a guard despite the Vols' liking to mix things up, but his pass blocking will make him a key OT prospect.

Honest Grade

Smokey the mascot plays with a young fan's hat at the Vol Walk before a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 29, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I graded Williams as a guy who will be a competitor for the starting job, with the floor being a priority rotational piece. He is someone who will see some steep challenges from guys competing for the job. It is known that David Sanders will be a starter, but Williams will have to outwork and outplay Jesse Perry, who looked quite good for the Vols this season. This will be a key competition to monitor when the Vols take the field in the spring.

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