Tennessee football gets LSU offensive tackle Ory Williams from portal

5 days ago 2

LSU offensive tackle Ory Williams will transfer to Tennessee football after entering the portal and visiting the Vols.

The 6-foot-8, 335-pound Williams is an enormous offensive lineman with a big upside. He announced his decision on social media.

In high school, Williams was a standout basketball player in San Marcos, Texas. He played only two seasons of football before LSU signed him as big athlete it hoped to develop into an offensive tackle.

Williams gained 40 pounds and honed his blocking skills. He played one game in 2024 and took a redshirt. He played 12 games and made two starts as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining.

In his first career start against Arkansas at left tackle, Williams got mixed reviews from Pro Football Focus. He drew very good grades in pass blocking and mediocre grades in run blocking in 74 snaps.

Where Ory Williams fits on Tennessee football depth chart

Tennessee lost All-SEC left tackle Lance Heard and backup Bennett Warren to the portal. But don't expect Williams to be an automatic replacement for Heard, who also transferred from LSU to Tennessee in 2024.

David Sanders, a former five-star recruit, is expected to move from right tackle to left tackle. Jesse Perry started seven games at right tackle and four games at right guard, and he could play either position in 2026.

Tennessee also returns center Sam Pendleton and All-SEC guard Wendell Moe, along with part-time starting guard Sham Umarov.

Williams could compete with Perry, highly-touted signee Gabriel Osenda and others at right tackle. He also could add depth to an offensive line that utilizes numerous combinations up front.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Ory Williams: Tennessee football gets LSU offensive tackle from portal

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