Former Tennessee player says it's obvious that a key Vols starter was 'dealing with something last season'

Former Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Ollie Lane said this week that it's "obvious" that UT junior offensive lineman Lance Heard was "dealing with something last season".

Lane also noted that he has a lot of confidence in Heard right now because of the way the Louisiana native is playing this season.

"I'm really confident in Lance Heard," said Lane on The Sports Source. "I'm really confident in this guy's ability to go play that tackle position, blind spot, protect [the quarterback].

"I mean, it's obvious to me at this point that Lance was dealing with something last season. The guy's come out every single game and just looks impeccable. I mean, there's nothing in his game that I can really nitpick and say he could do this better or that better."

Heard, who made 11 starts for the Vols last season, struggled a bit in 2024 after transferring from LSU to Tennessee.

But so far this season, Heard has played great. He was Tennessee's highest graded offensive lineman in the Vols' season-opening win against Syracuse (76.2 per PFF). And he played extremely well against Georgia (didn't allow a sack or a quarterback hit in the overtime loss to the Bulldogs).

Lance Heard admitted that last season was a challenge for him

Heard admitted earlier this spring that multiple injuries -- and the mental impact of those injuries -- affected his play last season.

“The biggest difference (this spring) is my health,” said Heard. “Last year, it was kind of a battle for me with having two separate injuries. I had an injury in maybe the second or third game and was out for maybe three to four weeks. That was a challenge. That was a challenge mentally. And [I] came back and had another injury [in] the Florida game. 

“And I was saying to myself, I can’t continue to sit out. I can’t miss that many games. I was playing injured the entire year, you know, fighting through it. And it was challenging mentally for me. Now I just feel healthier. And being in this offense is getting more comfortable for me.”

Now that Heard is healthy, the former five-star recruit is a massive asset for the Vols. And he'll be extremely important this weekend as Tennessee travels to Starkville for a big road game against Mississippi State.

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