University of Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt speaks about who he sees as the Vols' opponents during his introduction ceremony in the Neyland Stadium Peyton Manning Locker Room Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017.
This is part III of a five-part series revisiting themes from Tennessee’s 2017 season.
When No. 67 came onto the field at right tackle for Tennessee during the Vols’ Nov. 18 game against LSU, surely some inside Neyland Stadium had to wonder, “Who’s that?”
It was Joe Keeler, a sophomore walk-on.
Keeler came in after Jashon Robertson exited with an injury. The Vols played the rest of the game with four scholarship linemen — all freshmen — and a walk-on, because that’s who they had available.
Part I: Tennessee Vols offense needs a spark after woeful 2017 showing
Part II: Vols couldn't stop the run in 2017. How will Jeremy Pruitt attempt to fix it?
Numerous factors contributed to the Vols going 4-8 in 2017, giving them their fewest wins in program history. Injuries were one of them.
