Tennessee Vols named a dark horse candidate to win the SEC in 2024

The Tennessee Vols haven't received a lot of hype this offseason as a potential option to win the SEC.

Most of that hype has gone to Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, and Alabama.

247Sports, however, recently pointed out Tennessee as a "dark horse" candidate to win the SEC this fall.

From 247Sports : Do not sleep on Tennessee this season. The Volunteers are widely underrated in both the SEC and College Football Playoff race. Former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava has the reins of the offense as a first-year starter and weapons around him. The Tennessee defense returns standout edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who could end up being one of the early selections in the 2025 NFL Draft next April. If the Volunteers can survive an early road test at Oklahoma in Week 4, they could start to build momentum for matchups against Alabama and at Georgia later in the season.

Preseason predictions rarely pan out. So it wouldn't be shocking if Tennessee surprises folks this fall and emerges as the best team in the SEC. The Vols, after all, certainly have the talent to win the conference, though a few things will have to go their way.

For starters, Tennessee needs to stay healthy -- especially along the offensive line (where there's not a lot of prove depth). The Vols will also need some of their new additions, specifically in the secondary, to play at a high level. And redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, of course, will need to live up to the hype.

If all that happens, and the ball bounces the Vols' way late in games when it needs to, then Tennessee can absolutely win the SEC in 2024.

Related: Quote from Nico Iamaleava shows why Vols fans should no longer worry about a big issue that plagued Tennessee in 2022 and 2023