Tennessee's offensive line is dealing with another knee injury.

The news is a little better this time, though.

Sophomore guard/center Riley Locklear suffered a slightly torn meniscus during the first half of the loss at second-ranked Georgia and is expected to miss at least a couple of weeks after undergoing surgery, first-year Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt said late Wednesday morning on the SEC teleconference.

Locklear had his leg rolled up on from behind while playing on a play during the second quarter and limped off, and Tennessee initially feared he had suffered a torn ACL, the same injury that sidelined starting center and Alabama transfer Brandon Kennedy for the season when he was injured during practice days after the season opener against West Virginia.

"It's actually good news for Riley," Pruitt said. "When he left the game, we were concerned that he possibly could have an ACL (tear), but he's just got a very small meniscus tear and had surgery. He'll probably be out at least 10 to 15 days and then he'll be back ready to go."

The 6-foot-4, 293-pound Locklear had rotated into the past two games against Florida and Georgia at left guard behind starter Jahmir Johnson and also was the backup at center to starter Ryan Johnson in the wake of Kennedy's injury.

Freshman Jerome Carvin, who has started the past four games at right guard, saw extensive work at center during Tuesday's practice and would likely be the second option there until Locklear returns later this season.

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Locklear has played in four games this season, meaning the option of a redshirt is still on the table should he encounter complications or delays in his return from injury and not play the rest of the season. After battling for the starting guard positions during preseason camp in August, Locklear did not play in the season opener against West Virginia, his home-state program. He's played in every game since, though, and saw more action than Jahmir Johnson at left guard against Florida.

The former three-star prospect from Huntington, W. Va., was set to redshirt during his freshman season until injuries and other attrition up front forced him into the lineup for the final four games, and he still managed to finish as Tennessee's second-highest graded offensive lineman with an overall mark of 65.9, according to Pro Football Focus.

Locklear came off the bench against Southern Miss and Missouri and started the LSU and Vanderbilt games at right guard, playing 135 total snaps.

He would have benefited from college football's new redshirt rules allowing players to appear in four games at any point of the season without losing a full year of eligibility.