Vols coach Derek Dooley confirmed through UT spokesman Jimmy Stanton on Saturday night that returning starter Herman Lathers won’t be ready for the beginning of the season after fracturing an ankle last week, an injury that will require surgery to repair and has no definite timetable for return. Backup Greg King also required arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, but the procedure performed Friday is expected to have him ready in time for camp in August.
The potential loss of Lathers could be particularly damaging for the Vols, who were counting on the only returning starter at linebacker to bounce back from the shoulder surgery that kept him out of spring practice to anchor a group that doesn’t boast much experience.
The junior started each of the 12 games he played in last season, missing just one contest with an ankle injury unrelated to the one suffered some time in the middle of last week. His 75 tackles were the second-highest total on the team behind only Nick Reveiz, one of the two departed seniors who filled the starting roles alongside Lathers at linebacker.
The post-spring depth chart released by the Vols listed King as the backup behind Lathers at the weak-side position, and both have had their share of physical concerns lately. King missed almost all of last season after undergoing surgery on his knee, which has been a recurring problem for him throughout a promising career that has struggled to gain traction because of the run of bad health.
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