BREAKING: LT Drew Richmond suspended for Tennessee's opener vs. Tech

Tennessee's offensive line has struggled to find continuity this preseason battling a variety of bumps and bruises, and now the unit will be short a key member in the opener against Georgia Tech on Monday night.

Redshirt-sophomore offensive lineman Drew Richmond, slated to start at left tackle, will miss the game due to a violation of team rules, per VolQuest.com sources.

"Drew Richmond will not make the trip to Atlanta," coach Butch Jones said Wednesday.

"He will be suspended for a violation of team rules If he does everything he needs to do he will be back against Indiana State."

Rumors of player suspsensions have been swirling for months around Tennessee. The rumors included everything from multiple players to guys missing multiple games. However, Richmond is the lone Vol suspended for the opener and will miss just the one game.

Earlier this month, Tennessee Jones wouldn't confirm or refute the suspension rumors, telling Volquest.com that per school policy any suspension news would only be announced at the appropriate time.

With Richmond out, senior Brett Kendrick will start at left tackle with sophomore Marcus Tatum earning the nod as the first-team right tackle.

Ultimately, Wednesday's news is no surprise, as sources have noted that the Vols have been repping with Kendrick at left tackle during recent practices, especially after the open media viewing periods are over.