Darnell Wright is spending fall camp getting back to his roots.
Going into his junior season, the West Virginia native hasn’t only switched back to his high school number of 58, he’s also manning the position he played at Huntington High School. After spending his first two seasons at Tennessee playing right tackle, he’s moving back over to left tackle.
“I would say it would be something like if you tried to write your name with your right hand, then go write it with your left,” Wright told the media earlier this week. “You know it’s going to be a little bit different. You just have to keep on doing it over and over and eventually it will look the same.
“The first couple days I was really frustrated. You could ask (offensive line coach Glenn) Elarbee, I was really frustrated because it was a quick flip. Then surprisingly after about four days, my legs started feeling right.”
Elarbee and first-year Vols head coach Josh Heupel approached Wright about switching positions upon their arrival on Rocky Top. Wright had been wanting to move back to left tackle anyways, so there wasn’t much to think about when the idea was brought up.
The 6-foot-6 lineman knew, however, that if the move was going to prove successful, he was going to have to cut weight, particularly in Heupel’s new up-tempo offense.
“This tempo offense, I’m going to have to (be lighter),” Wright said. “That’s my way to keep up. I had to lose weight.
“I always wanted to get my weight (where it needed to be), but I never felt it as much. I carried it well, I guess. But now you start feeling it when that tempo gets going.”
After returning from the COVID-19 break last summer around 360 pounds, and playing at 340 pounds last season as a sophomore, Wright has dropped 20 pounds over the offseason as he prepares for a pivotal season.
“Darnell, probably the first couple days, was kind of feeling it out a little bit,” Elarbee said. “I really feel like practice four or practice five he started to settle in. He’s done a lot better in just technique and footwork. The mental aspect of knowing the protection piece of it.
“Obviously very, very talented guy. I think it probably was challenging there for him in the beginning, because he hasn’t had to do it. But credit to him pushing through it. And man, starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel for it.”
Wright arrived at Tennessee as a five-star and started five games at right tackle in 2019 to earn All-SEC Freshman honors. Last year, he started nine of the Vols’ 10 games in the COVID-shortened season.
He’ll be counted on once again to play a key role along Tennessee’s offensive line this year. With Wanya Morris transferring to Oklahoma, and Jahmir Johnson transferring to Texas A&M, respectively, the Vols lost their top two left tackles from a season ago. But it also presented a golden opportunity for Wright.
“I think Darnell is really natural on the left side of it,” Heupel said. “For him, he’s athletic, he’s got the ability to bend, has the chance to be an elite pass protector as well. So overall we feel good about where those two guys are at.”
Wright could have transferred along with his fellow signees in the class of 2019 following the coaching change. He chose to stay at Tennessee, however, and the Vols are hoping it helps lead Heupel to a successful first season on Rocky Top.
“That’s not really my personality, just up and run when stuff gets hard,” Wright said. “The other guys that had other opportunities, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do, what’s best for yourself. I felt like my best opportunity was here.”
Tennessee opens its season against Bowling Green two weeks from Thursday on Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.