KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – For the third straight season under the watch of Glen Elarbee, Tennessee’s offensive line has earned a spot on the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, recognizing the nation’s most outstanding offensive line units.
The Vols are one of 23 teams on the honor roll, including six SEC units.
Tennessee’s offensive line has paved the way and protected for a unit that is putting up 443.8 yards per game. Notably, the Vols feature the best rushing attack in the SEC and the sixth-best in the country, averaging 231.3 yards per game on the ground.
The offensive line has paved the way for at least 200 rushing yards in five of UT’s first six games highlighted by a 232-yard outburst against the league’s top rushing defense, Texas A&M, last Saturday in Neyland Stadium. The Aggies came into the contest allowing only 84.0 yards per game on the ground.
Tennessee has surrendered nine sacks this season, representing the second-fewest in the SEC behind only Georgia’s six.
Despite battling injuries during the first half of the season, Tennessee’s veteran offensive line made up of seniors Cooper Mays, John Campbell Jr., Javontez Spraggins and Ollie Lane have established their presence. Mays missed the first four games recovering from injury but has been a catalyst for the offensive success since his return in victories over South Carolina and Texas A&M.
Campbell Jr., a graduate transfer from Miami, has played 375 snaps this season without allowing a sack, while Spraggins has issued only one sack in 417 snaps. The Vols have won 13 out of their last 15 games when Mays starts at center dating back to last season.
Elarbee’s unit was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award last season.
The Joe Moore Award is named after Joe Moore, widely regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football history, most notably for his work at Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh.
“The offensive line units on the 2023 Midseason Honor Roll have caught the attention of the committee through the October 14 weekend, by demonstrating some or all of the award criteria in a recognizable way,” said Cole Cubelic, chairman of the Joe Moore Award voting committee. “The bar will raise significantly from here, and the consistency required to earn further recognition will be how the elite units eventually separate themselves.”
The Joe Moore Award voting committee judges solely on six criteria: toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique and finishing. The selection of semifinalists will be made on Nov. 14, and finalists will be chosen on Dec. 5. Selection of the 2023 Joe Moore Award winner will be made public after a surprise visit to the winning university’s campus in late December.
2023 Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll
Air Force
Clemson
Duke
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Kansas State
Kentucky
Louisville
LSU
Miami
Michigan
Missouri
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oregon
Oregon State
Penn State
Tennessee
Texas
UCF
Washington
Wyoming