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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.
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![Tennessee football head coach Jeremy Pruitt walks on](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/eb54bedc38df4b386f151e6ebd62898218d77407/c=290-0-4829-3413&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/09/TennGroup/Knoxville/636484299804384499-volsbballlipscomb-1011.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/a133bcf53f5f0f668c85ee5e3f598399a926e0b7/c=51-0-3544-2626&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992671292737-USATSI-9254270.jpg)
![Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as practice](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ab7710debf3e750b34399c9cacc3d8979977c57b/c=272-0-2729-1847&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481421733004106-MGMBrd-08-28-2016-SpecialBrd-1-G004-2016-08-25-IMG--practice05.jpg-2016-1-1-6FFDM664-L865600720-IMG--practice05.jpg-2016-1-1-6FFDM664.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/3e41db56fecc55fe67a99a2d582bd7ffd5dc1681/c=37-0-2043-2674&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992664740653-USATSI-9532634.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c8b04de54482ca01f518d21886f444ed74768f88/c=232-0-3549-2494&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992624336135-USATSI-10256477.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/127f917ccd59611350ffb551c0550b9d618017c6/c=78-0-3392-2492&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992622776115-USATSI-10296302-1-.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/cf19e33d69f94cb33fa4ce9ad984426fd24de26c/c=294-0-4890-3456&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992639000323-USATSI-9800164.jpg)
![Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt discusses](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/479eaf68654476946a009f76865c763282f9924a/c=315-0-2690-3166&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481418312036248-NDNBrd-08-08-2016-DailyNews-1-C003-2016-08-07-IMG-ALA-Jeremy-Pruitt-V-3-1-PEF8PJPA-L858541309-IMG-ALA-Jeremy-Pruitt-V-3-1-PEF8PJPA.jpg)
![Defensive Coordinator and defensive backs coach Jeremy](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/6984342ee7896a1d8e3c10747727019e3a2ad1f4/c=0-99-2585-2043&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481421735188134-FSUPitt-090213-gb-87.jpg)
![In this April 22, 2017, file photo, Alabama defensive](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/cb6a18e4e2a6391b79907f956239f4ab8f4a9bda/c=0-37-3721-2835&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481418308136198-TCL1Brd-11-23-2017-ClarionLedger-1-C004-2017-11-21-IMG-Iron-Bowl-Dominant-D-8-1-LGKCG47K-L1138483947-IMG-Iron-Bowl-Dominant-D-8-1-LGKCG47K.jpg)
![Jacobbi McDaniel and coach Jeremy Pruitt celebrate](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/6d0bc43f156ff239882cfc46a10b7c311a3c717c/c=239-0-2236-2663&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481442450069706-FSU-100513-gb-19.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/5d2bcceab2afe65bf9947918814fb591bebe564c/c=55-0-1571-1140&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992621372097-USATSI-10269407.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ece5c41b82eb99c6a705dfe9ea7292ea4875d6d8/c=0-18-1364-1837&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992638220313-USATSI-9560971.jpg)
![Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/d7c7508bcb050089e3b17dab14300a2baafb3fdd/c=0-40-1882-2549&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992641340353-USATSI-9254275.jpg)
![Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/8eb7ac16dd30753a235623699b87938f3e2b96ad/c=22-0-2110-2784&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992645864411-USATSI-8958460.jpg)
![Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/499571c056cba8c684736ecf65f0e19f62b781cc/c=176-0-2938-2077&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992684240903-USATSI-8302638.jpg)
![Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/85d1cf161827421a13acd89eaa43dbcca677e06c/c=175-0-2913-2059&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992706081183-USATSI-8813184.jpg)
![Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2aea15e93aef1c654c86b806254263f38ed4ea7f/c=0-181-2280-3221&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992682212877-USATSI-8923950.jpg)
![Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/16aa48627454448a6f93dd5ba086aa2d7a9eae88/c=163-0-2691-1901&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992621996105-USATSI-7866001.jpg)
![Georgia Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/706eb1cd33c0224f37dbe191134e6211a7f11896/c=0-141-1685-2388&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481992695941053-USATSI-7866233.jpg)
![Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt prepares his defensive](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2bf016922185f8ce49d04a7c0ef7512494abffde/c=5-0-2695-3587&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481442560519122-Coach-Pruitt-0477-FCScr-82113.jpg)
![Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt motivates FB Shayne](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/a07a769f967c3a1b818f8a1046db85a3a142c121/c=443-0-3157-3618&r=295&c=0-0-292-390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481421899614242-TLHTab-08-25-2013-Gameplan-1-H012-2013-08-22-IMG--Coach-Pruitt-4thQtr-1-1-2C4UBBA7-L274556102-IMG--Coach-Pruitt-4thQtr-1-1-2C4UBBA7.jpg)
![Florida State defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt aswers](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/1464880462466450082276f907af08350da7ea7b/c=116-0-1885-1330&r=x393&c=520x390/local/-/media/2017/12/06/TennGroup/Knoxville/636481418307980196-MGMBrd-03-25-2016-Advertiser-1-C001-2016-03-24-IMG--fsu02.jpg-20140104.-1-1-UBDS1925-L783059796-IMG--fsu02.jpg-20140104.-1-1-UBDS1925.jpg)