Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel not only confirmed that center Cooper Mays will be making the trip to face Florida, but also revealed he anticipates that he will be ready to play on Saturday.

"He'll be going with us," said Heupel. "He's been really good all week long. Anticipate him being ready to play."

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Previously, Ollie Lane has started at center. If Mays makes the start and plays in the contest, it will give the Vols a decision to make at guard. It will likely be between Lane and Andrej Karic who started in Mays' absence.

With a game under the lights in Gainesville and a rowdy crowd attempting to disrupt the offense, the veteran presence of Mays could go a long way.

"He's smart, competitive, communicates at a really high level," said Heupel. "He helps, you know, his experience is beneficial for us."

The main concern about Mays' return will be his conditioning.

In an offense as fast as Tennessee's, offensive linemen don't have time to catch their breath. However, Heupel seemed confident Mays will be physically ready to go.

"Conditioning is one thing, but he's been, even before he was back on the grass with us, there was a lot of things he was doing with our strength staff," said Heupel. "The flow of the game will dictate a little bit how he's feeling out there."

This doesn't necessarily confirm Mays will appear in the contest but it is, of course, a great sign. His availability could make a big difference on Saturday.

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