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Tennessee’s Tackle Situation Creates High-Ceiling Offense

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Tennessee’s Tackle Situation Creates High-Ceiling Offense


The Tennessee Volunteers have two potential cornerstones at offensive tackle heading into the 2024 season.

Tennessee went into the transfer portal this offseason to land LSU Tigers offensive tackle Lance Heard. He made 13 appearances with the Tigers during his true freshman season, getting a start against Army. While many expected big things from Heard, a logjam was at tackle in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He opted to enter the transfer portal and join the Tennessee Volunteers, where he can be their starting left tackle.

While this addition bolsters the Vols’ offensive line, it forced tackle John Campbell Jr. to switch from the left side to the right. Campbell made nine starts at left tackle in 2023 and was their most physically dominant piece in the front five. Many thought there would be growing pains in switching to the other side, but Campbell has taken the change in stride. Offensive line coach Glen Elarbee has praised his maturity and dedication throughout the offseason, noting how focused he’s been.

The Vols will trot out quarterback Nico Iamaleava next season, a tantalizing prospect with tons of upside. However, he was under much duress in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes; the Vols had a vast talent discrepancy that ensured those pressures didn’t mean much, but against SEC squads, those add up. Tennessee’s coaching staff isn’t going to ask Iamaleava to completely change his game; he’s at his best when he can pat the football and rip a ball into a tight downfield window. However, he needs strong offensive tasckles if he’s going to play that way.

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Heard and Campbell each have all-conference potential this season, and they get the added penefit of squaring off against edge rusher James Pearce Jr. every day in practice. They’ll be ready to protect him this fall, and with more time, Iamaleava can help revive the downfield throws that created a dazzling 2022 season.

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Drivers charged with drag racing after Tennessee trooper clocked speeds over 100 mph

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Drivers charged with drag racing after Tennessee trooper clocked speeds over 100 mph


2 young adults are facing charges for impaired driving and drag racing after a Tennessee State Trooper clocked them going more than 100 mph down I-24 Monday night, an affidavit says.

The affidavit says a THP trooper was on patrol traveling east on I-24 when a black two-door Infiniti and a silver BMW SUV passed him “at well over 100 MPH.”

The trooper attempted to stop both vehicles, but they continued down the roadway.

The affidavit says both vehicles eventually pulled to the right shoulder near Exit 181.

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The trooper arrested both drivers, identified as 20-year-old Rolando Martinez and 19-year-old Lucas Turner, for drag racing and reckless driving.

While inventorying the silver BMW, the affidavit says a case of beer was found in the back seat, along with beers strewn throughout the vehicle.

The arrest report says the trooper smelled alcohol coming from both drivers.

Turner consented to standardized field sobriety tests and a blood test. The report says he was above the legal limit of .02.

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Martinez completed half of the HGN test and refused further sobriety testing, but consented to a blood test. The trooper also believed he was above the legal limit.



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Tennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson

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Tennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson


Police officers in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee are currently investigating an alleged assault that occurred over the weekend involving Reacher star Alan Ritchson.

TMZ broke the story by publishing a video that reportedly features Ritchson in an altercation with a neighbor named Ronnie Taylor. The man said that the situation unfolded over two days, beginning on Saturday when he claimed he witnessed Ritchson speeding through the neighborhood on a motorcycle causing a disturbance. To show his displeasure, Taylor claims he raised a middle finger to Ritchson and the actor returned the gesture.

Then on Sunday, Taylor tells TMZ that he spotted Ritchson on his motorcycle again, this time joined by two individuals who are believed to be the actor’s young sons, also on motorbikes. Taylor claims that he asked Ritchson, “Can you fucking stop this please?”, at which point the situation allegedly turned physical. Ritchson is seen in the edited clip hitting Taylor in the grass of a front lawn. Ritchson’s green Kawasaki motorcycle is in the street while the two individuals witness the altercation from their motorbikes.

The clip, first published by TMZ on Sunday, picks up as Taylor is already on the ground. But in an interview with TMZ, he admitted that he instigated the physical confrontation by shoving Ritchson first. He also reportedly ran into the street to confront Ritchson, who then fell off his motorcycle and suffered “cuts and bruises” and a finger injury, per TMZ. The outlet also reported that Taylor “dared Alan to hit him” while Ritchson was still on the ground though the actor tried to leave the scene until he was shoved by Taylor. Additional footage of the incident is said to show a more clear picture of happened.

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The Hollywood Reporter confirmed with Brentwood Police Captain Steve Pepin that an investigation is currently underway though “no arrests have been made” in the case. The investigation is expected to continue for several days.

Ritchson, a known motorcycle enthusiast who posed on a Ducati for a THR cover story in 2024, is back in the United States after filming back to back movies in Australia and New Zealand. He starred in Netflix’s War Machine, which just debuted on the streamer, for filmmaker Patrick Hughes. They reunited Down Under for a project inspired by the life of Navy SEAL Mike Thornton which was recently filming.

Reps for Ritchson have yet to comment.

Monday, March 23, 2:43 p.m.: Updated to include new comments from Ronnie Taylor from his live interview with TMZ.



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Titans named one of the NFL’s most improved teams this offseason

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Titans named one of the NFL’s most improved teams this offseason


The Tennessee Titans have made some significant additions to their roster this offseason as they attempt to pull themselves out of the basement of the AFC South. 

The Titans have added talent on both sides of the ball and have relied heavily on system familiarity and trust as they rebuild a depleted roster. But how much difference did it make? Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated believes Tennessee will be much improved and has them slated as the third-most improved through this point in the offseason. 

3. Tennessee Titans 

Notable additions: TE Daniel Bellinger, DT Jordan Elliott, CB Cor’Dale Flott, DL John Franklin-Myers, edge Jermaine Johnson II, LB Jacob Martin, WR Wan’Dale Robinson, C Austin Schlottmann, CB Alontae Taylor, DT Solomon Thomas

There was nowhere to go but up after a disastrous past few seasons. Two years ago, the Titans were big spenders in free agency and still ended up with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, which they used on quarterback Cam Ward. However, it’s hard to doubt this latest spending frenzy, given that new coach Robert Saleh has a track record of building formidable defenses and has reunited with many of his reliable players from previous stops. 

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On offense, Ward got an intriguing playmaker in Robinson, who’s coming off a breakout 2025 season with the Giants. The arrow is finally pointing up in Tennessee.

The Titans have taken a big swing at the free agency market in an attempt to reset the organizational floor. Now, it will be up to general manager Mike Borgonzi to follow up this impressive haul with another solid draft. If he can do that, the Titans organization will likely be pointed in the right direction. 



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