What we've learned about Tennessee football as preseason practice hits midpoint

Tennessee football has found its starting left tackle, while the Vols search for stability on the interior of the offensive line.

Hype is reaching a crescendo for quarterback Joe Milton, and Dont'e Thornton doesn’t lag far behind as the recipient of preseason hyperbole. And, Tennessee’s cogs to its defense are apparent.

Those are a few of the things we’ve learned from Vols preseason practice, with a little more than two weeks remaining until the season opener against Virginia on Sept. 2 in Nashville

On this edition of “The Volunteer State,” Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network is joined by the News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks and John Adams to review top storylines that have emerged throughout August practice.

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Here are some key takeaways:

1. A new face at left tackle

Miami transfer John Campbell will be the blindside protector on the offensive line as the starting left tackle. That will spring Gerald Mincey over to bookend the right side of the line, where he's competing with Jeremiah Crawford for a starting job. But Mincey is still playing both tackle spots in practice.

While the Vols will miss first-round NFL Draft pick Darnell Wright at tackle, the bigger issue at the moment comes on the interior of the line. Jerome Carvin's departure lingers, especially after an injury to Cooper Mays caused Ollie Lane to move from guard to center. Fortunately, Mays' injury doesn't seem like a long-term situation.

If Mays is out longer than expected, it could cause a significant snafu for an interior already in flux.

2. Hype soars for Joe Milton

If you listen to Tennessee's coaches and players talk about Milton, you'd think he was a multi-year starter and all-conference performer. In truth, he played well in the Orange Bowl to cap last season, and he's plenty talented, but he still must go out and prove himself as a starter throughout the season. And he must show he's got the fortitude to withstand any hiccups that arise.

3. Middle of the defense is set

Jeremy Banks' departure allowed for some revision of the linebacking corps, and Tennessee could be better off with this alignment.

Aaron Beasley's talents are well-suited to weakside linebacker, while BYU transfer Keenan Pili projects as a dependable veteran at middle linebacker.

4. Hype soars for Dont'e Thornton, but pump the brakes

Thornton, an Oregon transfer, is a potential X-factor in the receiving corps. That doesn't mean he's going to unseat Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton or Squirrel White in the starting lineup. That trio starred in the Orange Bowl, and they're in line to be first up in the receiving rotation, despite all the outside hoopla for Thornton.

Don't take that as a knock on Thornton, though. He's 6-foot-5 with speed, so, yes, he's a breakout candidate.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. John Adams is the News Sentinel's senior columnist. Adam Sparks covers the Vols. You can subscribe to read all their coverage, or check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox. They also host the lightly acclaimed "SEC Football Unfiltered" podcast.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What we've learned about Tennessee football as preseason practice hits midpoint