The Tennessee Volunteers had one of the quieter nine-win seasons you will find in college football in 2023. That now marks 20 victories over the last two seasons for the program, continuing to build a strong program under head coach Josh Heupel . When people talk about the top teams in the SEC, Tennessee is hardly mentioned leading up to the fall.
There are several reasons why the national media, and fans should be talking a lot more about the Vols heading toward the season. They have some interesting roster strengths that could make them a big surprise this fall. While underrated for now, that should change very quickly.
Offensive skill talent
As long as Josh Heupel is the head coach, optimism around the offense is Knoxville is going to incredible high, and it should. The 2024 version of the Volunteers could be the deepest they have been in terms of pass receivers since he arrived. That includes getting Bru McCoy back, who has been very productive when healthy and has NFL evaluators buzzing about what he could accomplish with a full season in 2024.
Tennessee also welcomed former Tulane star wide receiver Chris Brazzell II to the program this offseason via the portal. Brazzell is super long at 6-5 and can run. He appears to be a perfect fit for Coach Heupel’s offense with his ability to make plays down the field. Add in Squirrel White as the short-intermediate separator who has been ultra productive for the team. That isn’t even counting Dont’e Thornton entering year two, and five-star freshman Mike Matthews entering the mix.
The Volunteers also acquired former Notre Dame tight end Holden Staes in the portal, another talented pass catcher who made 15 receptions for 176 yards and four touchdowns last season for the Irish. He should make a lot of plays while mixing and matching with redshirt freshman Ethan Davis.
All those weapons would be wasted without a talented trigger man, and they have that with rising sophomore Nico Iamaleava . Tennessee fans got their first tastes of Nico last season, and the talent is extremely tantalizing. A full season of him at the helm should make for some big time moments and an impressive stat line.
Experienced offensive line
Even in the modern space game, games are still won in the trenches. This is a spot that Tennessee hasn’t been nearly consistent enough the last couple of seasons. Things could change in a big way for the offensive line in 2024, bringing back plenty of talent and experience up front.
Of the five projected starters right now for the fall, they bring back a total of 176 games played and 98 career collegiate starts. The breakdown of career starts includes Javontez Spraggins (37), Cooper Mays (32), John Campbell Jr. (27) Jackson Lampley (2) and Lance Heard. The latter is transferred from LSU, viewed as a five-star recruit by some coming out in the 2023 recruiting class.
With Heard projected as the starting left tackle this year, some will feel unsettled with a very inexperienced player settling into that position. Heard, who stands at a towering 6-6 and 340 pounds, has an argument as the most talented offensive lineman on the team. If you are going to have an inexperienced player up front, them being this talent does settle some nerves.
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Defensive line depth
As was the case on the offensive line, the defensive line was in a similar boat. Coach Heupel has quietly done a tremendous job filling the depth, which includes the impact depth. The conversation all starts with defensive end James Pearce Jr. , who has an argument as the best player in college football returning this fall. He led the Volunteers with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks, and Pearce is an early favorite to be a top ten pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
It doesn’t stop with Pearce. The interior defensive line especially has some legitimate depth going into the fall. Tennessee also returns Omarr Norman-Lott, Bryson Eason, and Omari Thomas as valuable contributors from a year ago. That trio combined for 15.5 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 2023. Each of them, are at least 315 pounds, bringing a lot of size to that front.
The 2024 recruiting class for Tennessee finished with the No. 14 class in the country on the 247Sports composite ranking. The crown jewel of the class was five-star pass rusher Jordan Ross, who is talented enough to garner some reps as a freshman. He will only bolster a strong group on that side of the football.
Going under the radar
“Sneaking up on teams” is slightly overstated in the SEC. It is the strongest conference in all of college football, and there isn’t typically an easy week. That being said, there is something to be said for a team that is flying slightly under the radar.
After an 11-2 record in 2022, Tennessee was a team that had everyone’s attention going into last season. With so much turnover, the team hadn’t reached a level of consistent sustainability and did fall back to a 9-4 record. That has caused the Volunteers to become somewhat underrated this offseason.
With depth on both the lines, and a bevy of talented playmakers, Tennessee has a chance to shock some people in 2024. Not enough people are talking about them, and that could change quickly with a strong start to the season. It promises to be an exciting upcoming season.
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