ESPN names the 4 things that have to go right for the Tennessee Vols to win a national championship in 2024

ESPN recently detailed what has to go right for several of college football's top programs to compete for a national championship in 2024.

For the Tennessee Vols, ESPN listed four things, specifically, that need to go right this fall for Josh Heupel's squad to have a legitimate shot at bringing a natty back to Knoxville.

1. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava has to be as advertised
2. Big pass plays have to return for Tennessee
3. The Vols have to be better in the red zone
4. Tennessee's revamped secondary has to show improvement

From ESPN : In some ways, Tennessee's 35-0 Citrus Bowl blowout of Iowa felt like a statement of intent. A fierce Volunteers pass rush led in part by James Pearce Jr. wouldn't let Iowa breathe, and in his first career start, five-star freshman QB Nico Iamaleava completed a solid 63% of his passes and executed the red zone offense with perfection. Iamaleava also took six sacks and averaged a ho-hum 12.6 yards per completion. He still looked like a true freshman at times. The Vols are an intriguing CFP candidate, but only if he's ready to turn upside and potential into production from the very start of the season.

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It feels like ESPN pretty much nailed it. If Nico performs at a high level, that likely means that the big pass plays will return for the Vols in 2024.

As for the red zone issues from last season (Tennessee was No. 73 in red zone offense in 2023, while they were No. 3 in 2022), Nico showed in the Vols' win against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl that he can take matters into his own hands (if necessary) when the offense gets into the red zone. His ability to be elusive in the red zone should act as a "security blanket" for the Vols in the red zone this fall.

The pass defense, meanwhile, is an obvious question mark. Tennessee overhauled their secondary after numerous players left the program via the NCAA transfer portal during the offseason. The Vols are hoping that their new additions will be an upgrade in the secondary in 2024. If that proves to be the case, then Tennessee's defense, thanks in large part to a strong defensive line, could become a dominant force in the SEC. And if that happens, then Tennessee will absolutely be a championship contender in December.

Related: NFL Hall of Famer says Tennessee would've been the best fit for his college career in retrospect