Here are 5 position battles to monitor during Tennessee football's preseason

Certain position battles are fairly settled for Tennessee even before practice begins Friday. Barring injury, it’s almost impossible to envision players like quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, wide receiver Marquez Callaway and linebackers Daniel Bituli and Darrell Taylor not starting.

Elsewhere on the roster, though, there are plenty of spots up for grabs.

Here are the five most interesting position battles.

Offensive tackle

Both offensive tackle positions are unsettled, with plenty of contenders for the job.

Freshman Wanya Morris and Marcus Tatum started the spring game at left and right tackle, respectively. Darnell Wright, like Morris, is a five-star signee. Unlike Morris, Wright didn’t join the squad until the summer. His addition spices up the competition.

If Trey Smith (blood clots) gets the green light to return, he should land one spot. If he doesn’t and the freshmen don’t show they can do the job, then Jahmir Johnson might move from guard to tackle. He experimented at tackle during the spring. Nathan Niehaus is another option, although he’s more suited for a backup spot.

Defensive ends

Emmit Gooden looks like a lock to be Tennessee’s starting nose tackle, but it’s unclear who will flank him. Tennessee had hoped to gain an NCAA transfer waiver for Aubrey Solomon, but there’s been no good news on that front, leaving the position more in flux.

Matthew Butler and John Mincey are probably the most advanced linemen, but coach Jeremy Pruitt might opt to go with at least one bigger body alongside Gooden.

Because of the way defensive linemen share snaps, it’s less important who earns starting jobs and more significant to monitor who claims the top six spots on the two-deep. Junior college transfers Savion Williams and Darel Middleton give new life to the competition.

Backup quarterback

Tennessee was blessed with a dependable backup last season thanks to graduate transfer Keller Chryst. His departure leaves a void. JT Shrout and Brian Maurer are the only scholarship quarterbacks behind Guarantano, and neither has taken a college snap.

Shrout started with the second-string offense during the spring game, so he enters the preseason with the advantage, but there’s not an insurmountable gap for Maurer to overcome.

The second inside linebacker alongside Daniel Bituli

Bituli was the team’s leading tackler the past two seasons, and he’ll claim one inside linebacker spot. But Tennessee can have some fun with the other spot. There are veterans like Shanon Reid and Will Ignont, who were reserves in past seasons. But don't count out Quavaris Crouch and Henry To’oto’o, two of the top defensive signees.

Crouch, an early enrollee, split his time in the spring between inside and outside linebacker. To’oto’o profiles as an inside linebacker.

Reid impressed Pruitt during the spring, but a strong August by one of the freshmen would give Pruitt something to consider.

Second-string running back

Ty Chandler is one of this offense’s known playmakers. He’ll be the top choice at running back. But the second-string running back often receives nearly as many snaps as the starter, so it’s important that Tennessee find a complement.

Tim Jordan is the favorite for the job, a role he also had last season. But expect competition from Jeremy Banks and Eric Gray, a freshman who was sidelined by injury this fall.

If the Vols want to build for the future, why not give Gray every chance to supplement Chandler? That might be a longshot. Coaches usually default to the player with experience when the competition is close.

Blake Toppmeyer covers University of Tennessee football. Email him at blake.toppmeyer@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer. If you enjoy Blake’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.