Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee OL Chance Hall to miss season with knee injury

Published Aug. 4, 2017 9:34 p.m. ET

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AP

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee offensive lineman Chance Hall, who has started 13 games over the last two years, will undergo knee surgery and miss the entire season.

Volunteers coach Butch Jones announced after Friday night's practice that Hall ''will have a redshirt year, and he'll be back and stronger than ever for it.'' Jones said a date for Hall's surgery hasn't been set.

Hall, a junior from Roanoke, Virginia, started at right tackle in six games last season. He missed the first three games to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery and also was sidelined for the final four games of the season.

He played 10 games and started seven in 2015.

''Chance is a competitor,'' Jones said. ''It's very, very important to him. (The injury's) very unfortunate, but he'll bounce back, and he'll be better for it.''

Even without Hall in the lineup, Tennessee returns six offensive linemen who started at least three games last season. Brett Kendrick started 13 games and Jashon Robertson started 12. Jack Jones and Drew Richmond had six starts apiece. Venzell Boulware made three starts.

Tennessee also has freshman offensive lineman Trey Smith, who was rated by ESPN as the nation's No. 1 overall 2017 recruit regardless of position.

Jones said Smith, Kendrick and offensive lineman Marcus Tatum didn't practice Friday but would return within a few days, with some potentially returning as soon as Saturday.

Tennessee opens the season Sept. 4 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Follow Steve Megargee at www.twitter.com/stevemegargee

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