WE’RE LEAVING! 3 Vols veteran key men Sadly announce departure after a disappointing…

Squirrel White quietly (at least from a national standpoint) had a very good season in 2023, catching 67 passes for 803 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore while playing in what amounted to a watered-down version of Josh Heupel’s offense. With stronger quarterback play in 2024, White could be poised for a massive breakout season. White, specifically, could end up posting huge numbers in 2024 as one of the Vols’ top deep-play threats. The Alabama native, however, isn’t just a vertical threat. Despite his small frame (5-foot-10/165 lbs per Tennessee’s official roster), White is a solid perimeter blocker who can also pick up tough yards after the catch on short to intermediate routes.

If White puts up big numbers in 2024, he could emerge as a top draft option in the 2025 NFL Draft, which means he could have to make a tough decision on whether to start his NFL career a year or early or return to Tennessee for his senior season. Either way, a big season in 2024 is going to equal big money for Squirrel White.

Omarr Norman-Lott — Defensive lineman — Senior
Superstar edge rusher James Pearce is going to command a lot of attention in 2024. I think every Tennessee fan knows that he’s going to see a significant amount of double teams this fall. And the player that stands to potentially benefit the most from those double teams is defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott.

Norman-Lott, who transferred to Tennessee from Arizona State ahead of the 2023 season, was third on the team in sacks last season with 5.5 (just behind Tyler Baron, who had six sacks…Baron transferred to Louisville this offseason).

The 6-foot-3/307 lb interior defensive lineman looks the part of a future NFL defenisve lineman. And he can help his draft stock by having a monster season in 2024. Norman-Lott, who is important for the Vols against the run, should be able to take advantage of the double teams that Pearce receives by getting to the quarterback even more frequently than he did a season ago. If he can add a few sacks to last year’s total, he could be in the mix to be an early round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

John Campbell — Offensive Tackle — Redshirt Senior
The plan for the Vols, at least for now, appears to be for John Campbell to move from left tackle to right tackle in 2024.

And that’s a move he should embrace.

In 2022, Darnell Wright moved from left tackle to right tackle and he ended up being a top 10 selection in the 2023 NFL Draft (he had a solid rookie season for the Chicago Bears, too). If Campbell fully embraces the move to right tackle, and puts as much effort as possible into mastering the position, he could find himself mentioned in the first round conversation in the 2025 NFL Draft. The opportunity is there for Campbell to parlay a somewhat controversial position switch into a major payday.