Omarr Norman-Lott ‘definitely an upgrade’ for Tennessee’s defensive line

One addition that has flown under the radar this offseason for Tennessee has been Omarr Norman-Lott. The defensive tackle transferred in from Arizona State, adding another talented veteran body to Rodney Garner’s room. The 6-3, 301 pounder is going into his junior season, and now should have a prominent role on an SEC defensive line.

Norman-Lott appeared in nine game for Arizona State last season, starting two games. He finished the year with 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. He had an even more productive redshirt freshman season, logging 30 tackles in 11 games.

SEC veteran defensive line coach Rodney Garner is a big fan.

“Obviously, I definitely think Omarr Lott is definitely an upgrade for us,” Garner said this week. “He’s a young man that’s got a body of work, even though it’s in a different conference. So he’s got a little bit more maturity to him. And then, when you sit there and look at this kid, he has a skill set.”

Norman-Lott is a former four-star prospect originally from North Highlands, California. He joins a room with plenty of depth, slotting in somewhere alongside of Omari Thomas, Bryson Eason, Tyre West, Dominic Bailey and Kurrott Garland. Following the exit of Da’Jon Terry this offseason, Norman-Lott’s addition certainly feels a lot bigger.

“He has power,” Garner continued. “He has initial quickness. He knows how to maneuver his body and slip and just naturally make some plays. He can really run. The thing I thought initially coming into camp — I thought he may have been just a tad bit too heavy. And I think now he’s starting to trim down, and his athleticism is starting to show even more.

“As he continues to really get himself into better shape, I think we will see even a much better product than what he’s shown thus far.”

Tennessee’s defensive line has been a strength since Garner arrived in 2021, and that should be no surprise to anyone. His track record is second to none, and he’s coached his guys up to create plenty of negative plays over the last couple of seasons. The Volunteers finished ranked 21st in run defense in 2022 — tangible evidence of Garner’s work to this point.

Norman-Lott appears ready to be one of the next impact guys in line for Garner.