Tennessee’s offensive line struggled with injuries all 2023, and in the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt on Saturday, the Vols were once again forced to field a patchwork group. The 48-24 victory was Tennessee’s second-highest total of the season, so it didn’t really matter. Dayne Davis was named the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Monday for his contribution to the offense’s 617 yards gained. The fifth-year senior Davis started at right tackle for the second time in a row and was perfect on the field, not giving up a hit or sack or drawing a penalty.
This season, left tackle John Campbell Jr. was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week following the Vols’ victory over Kentucky in October. Davis is the second player from Tennessee to get this accolade.
Under head coach Josh Heupel, who is in his third year, the Vols have won 30 SEC weekly awards, including eight this season.
Over the previous three seasons, Davis—a former walk-on from Bluff City, Tennessee—has always been there for Tennessee when it needs him, and the Vols have needed him many times this season as well. As Cooper Mays was making his way back into the starting lineup, he saw rotational action as a backup center. He finished both the Texas A&M and Alabama games at right tackle because starter Gerald Mincey was too injured. Davis started at right tackle in the Georgia and Vanderbilt games while Mincey’s knee issue persisted.
When Campbell was sidelined for those two games, Tennessee was forced to start Jeremiah Crawford, a backup left tackle, in place of Campbell. Against Vanderbilt, fifth-year senior Jackson Lampley started for the first time in his career. The Vols lost starting right guard Javontez Spraggins to a season-ending injury in the second half of the game against Georgia. The Vols had to move Ollie Lane from left guard to center, where he started the first four games of the season, after Mays went down early against the Commodores.