Tennessee's official depth chart for Saturday night's game against Kentucky
A look at Tennessee Football’s official depth chart for Saturday night’s game against Kentucky, scheduled for a 7:45 Eastern Time start on SEC Network. Here’s how the ‘Dark Mode’ Vols will line up against the Wildcats:
Quarterback
| Starter | Nico Iamaleava |
| Backup | Gaston Moore |
| Backup | Jake Merklinger |
Nico Iamaleava is 108-for-170 (.635) for 1,413yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He has rushed 53 times for 179 net yards and has one rushing touchdown. Iamaleava is averaging 201.8 passing yards per game and has a quarterback rating of 144.17.
Gaston Moore has appeared in four games, completing 11 of 17 passes for 163 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Freshman Jake Merklinger is 6-for-9 for 48 yards and has rushed seven times for 30 yards.
Running Back
| Starter | Dylan Sampson |
| Backup | Cam Seldon |
| -or- DeSean Bishop | |
| -or- Khalifa Keith | |
| -or- Peyton Lewis |
Dylan Sampson has rushed 144 times for 838 yards and 17 touchdowns. DeSean Bishop has ran 53 times for 366 yards and three touchdowns. Peyton Lewis has 17 carries for 118 yards and Cam Seldon has eight carries for 48 yards in four games.
Wide Receivers
| Starter | Dont’e Thornton -or- Chris Brazzell II |
| Backup | Nathan Leacock |
| Starter | Bru McCoy -or- Kaleb Webb |
| Backup | Mike Matthews |
| Starter | Squirrel White -or- Chas Nimrod |
| Backup | Braylon Staley |
Dont’e Thornton leads Tennessee in receiving yards and touchdowns, catching 12 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns. Bru McCoy 20 receptions for 230 yards and Chris Brazzell II has 18 catches for 237 yards and two touchdowns. Squirrel White 20 catches, too, for 230 yards.
Tight Ends
| Starter | Ethan Davis |
| -or- Miles Kitselman | |
| -or- Holden Staes |
Holden Staes has nine catches for 65 yards and a touchdown at tight end and Miles Kitselman has six catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Ethan Davis has nine catches for 64 yards and a touchdown.
Offensive Line
| Left Tackle | Lance Heard -or- Larry Johnson III |
| Left Guard | Andrej Karic -or- Jackson Lampley |
| Center | Cooper Mays |
| Backup | William Satterwhite -or- Vysen Lang |
| Right Guard | Javontez Spraggins |
| Backup | Shamurad Umarov |
| Right Tackle | John Campbell -or- Dayne Davis |
Tennessee’s regular starters on the offensive line are Cooper Mays at center, Andrej Karic at left guard, Javontez Spraggins at right guard, Lance Heard at left tackle and John Campbell at right tackle. Heard returned at Arkansas after missing two games.
Dayne Davis started at left tackle in place of Heard at Oklahoma and Larry Johnson has played in place of John Campbell at right tackle while Campbell has dealt with injury.
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Defensive Line
| Starter | Bryson Eason |
| -or- Omarr Norman-Lott | |
| -or- Daevin Hobbs | |
| Starter | Omari Thomas |
| -or- Elijah Simmons | |
| -or- Jaxson Moi |
Defensive End
| Starter | Dominic Bailey |
| -or- Tyre West | |
| -or- Jayson Jenkins | |
| -or- Tyree Weathersby |
LEO
| Starter | James Pearce Jr. |
| -or- Joshua Josephs | |
| -or- Caleb Herring | |
| -or- Jordan Ross |
Weakside Linebacker
| Starter | Arion Carter -or- Kalib Perry |
| Backup | Jalen Smith |
Middle Linebacker
| Starter | Jeremiah Telander -or- Jalen Smith |
| Backup | Edwin Spillman |
Cornerback
| Starter | Jermod McCoy -or- Jordan Matthews |
| Backup | Wiliam Wright |
| Starter | Rickey Gibson II -or- Jalen McMurray |
| Backup | Kaleb Beasley |
Safety
| Starter | Will Brooks -or- Christian Charles |
| Backup | Edrees Farooq |
| Starter | Andre Turrentine -or- Jakobe Thomas |
| Backup | John Slaughter |
Star
| Starter | Christian Harrison |
| -or- Boo Carter |
Will Brooks leads Tennessee with 37.0 tackles. Arion Carter has 33.0 tackles, with 11 solo and 22 assisted, to go with an interception. Brooks also 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and three passes broken up.
James Pearce Jr. has a team-high 5.5 tackles for loss and Joshua Josephs has 5.0. Carter has 4.5 and Tyre West has 4.0.
Pearce leads the Vols 3.5 sacks and eight quarterback hurries. Jermod McCoy leads the team with five passes broken up and has two interceptions and 24.0 tackles.
Special Teams
| Placekicker | Max Gilbert |
| Backup | Josh Turbyville |
| Punter | Jackson Ross |
| Backup | Josh Turbyville |
| Kickoff | Josh Turbyville |
| Backup | Max Gilbert |
| Longsnapper | Matthew Salansky |
| Backup | Bennett Brady |
| Holder | Jackson Ross |
| Kick Returner | Cameron Seldon -or- DeSean Bishop |
| Punt Returner | Squirrel White |
| -or- Jermod McCoy | |
| -or- Boo Carter |
Max Gilbert is 12-for-15 on field goals with a long of 45. He missed a 53-yard attempt late against NC State and missed twice against Alabama, finishing 1-for-3. Jackson Ross has punted 28 times for 1,258 yards with two touch backs, seven fair catches, 10 downed inside the 20 and six that went 50 or more yards.
Squirrel White has returned seven punts for 112 yards, with a long of 31. Jermod McCoy has returned four for 57, with a long of 23, and Boo Carter has returned two for 55 yards, with a long of 35.
