Tennessee Football's Offensive Line Depth Following Wendell Moe Jr's Injury

The Tennessee Volunteers have had some unfortunate luck when it comes to season-ending injuries, as they have already suffered seven this season.

The most recent season-ending injury comes as Wendell Moe Jr. is now out for the season following an injury that he suffered against the Texas Longhorns.

This leaves the offensive line a bit thin, leaving little room for this group to get banged up. With that being said, here is how I project the offensive line depth following the injury.

Left Tackle

This position isn't bothered much by the Moe Jr. injury. This position is locked down by David Sanders Jr. and will continue to be, unless he is banged up, it seems. Sanders Jr. didn't have the best outing for the Vols against the Texas Longhorns, but he is now easily the most gifted offensive lineman on the line.

The depth behind him remains thin, but it seems that the likely backup on the blindside is Jeremias Heard.

Left Guard

Tennessee offensive lineman Shamurad Umarov (74) yells in celebration after winning a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 11, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

At left guard, the Vols have their biggest problem on the line. This is where the Vols will have to fill in the gap that is left behind following Moe Jr's. injury. As of now, there are a plethora of different options. The likely option is moving Shamurad Umarov over or slotting in Donovan Haslam. Another option could be playing Sam Pendleton, Jesse Perry, or Nic Moore.

My guess would be that Haslam or Umarov gets the start at left guard.

Center

I don't see much of a reason to move Sam Pendleton to center, although this is a possible option since he is able to play guard. I do think the job is his until he outright loses it, which I don't see happening anytime soon.

His likely backup is Moore, who I do believe could find his way into the rotations as a swing lineman, similar to how Perry has as of recently.

Right Guard

Tennessee offensive lineman Jeremias Heard (51) and Tennessee offensive lineman Jesse Perry (72) before the game between Tennessee and Kennesaw State at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Sept. 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This is where things do get a bit interesting. Depending on what Tennessee does, this position could change entirely as well. It seems that this was originally Umarov's spot, along with Perry, who also plays guard, but this time around it seems that Umarov may be on the move to the left side of the line.

In terms of depth, the same that was said for left guard could technically apply here, as these two remain up in the air for me at this moment.

Right Tackle

It almost seems inevitable that the Vols will need to start Ory Williams at right tackle following this injury. While they could technically start Perry and just slide Haslam into the lineup, it seems that Williams is likely the right option for the Vols at right tackle, which will open Perry up to being the swing lineman we all know he is great at being.

In terms of depth, Gabriel Osenda and Perry seem to be the lone options worth mentioning for the right side of the line at this time.

Send your questions, comments, and hot takes to our email tennesseeonsi@gmail.com for the chance to be featured in an article!

Follow Our Social Media Accounts

• Follow Vols on SI on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click HERE)
• Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click HERE)

Add us as a preferred source on Google