Tennessee football 2024 will be the year of Nico Iamaleava ... and Dylan Sampson | Adams

Tennessee football should have a top-10 offense this season. But that’s based on potential more than production.

If your assessment is tied to production, then you would highlight UT’s receiving corps .

In Bru McCoy’s last injury-free season in 2022, he had 52 catches for 667 yards. Squirrel White totaled 97 catches and 1,284 yards the past two seasons combined. Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell caught 44 passes for 711 yards on behalf of the Green Wave last season.

So, you aren’t required to engage in wishful thinking to believe UT’s receiving corps has a proven foundation for more success.

You also could cite an offensive line that returns three starters and has added LSU transfer Lance Heard as a reason for offensive production.

But if you’re sky-high on Tennessee’s offensive potential, you should point toward redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

Never mind that you can’t support your optimism with a season’s worth of stats. Iamaleava was MVP of the Citrus Bowl in his only college start for a reason. His talent is unmistakable.

No wonder, fan anticipation for this season has been building since the Vols routed Iowa in a 35-0 victory.

I’m as curious about what Iamaleava might do as a fulltime starter as I was about a couple of other Tennessee quarterbacks who played in the 1990s. You knew Heath Shuler and Peyton Manning would be good before they began their first season as a fulltime starter. The only question: How good?

Iamaleava will figure prominently in what could be one of coach Josh Heupel’s most dynamic offenses. But running back Dylan Sampson could be a huge factor, too.

Last season, Jaylen Wright became Tennessee’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Jalen Hurd in 2015. Wright gained 1,013 yards.

I expect Sampson to surpass that. There’s nothing profound about that prediction. Instead, it’s right out of Captain Obvious’ playbook.

Tennessee hasn’t hidden Sampson’s running talent. It has just minimized it behind two more experienced running backs, Wright and Jabari Small.

My guess is Sampson will be better than both. In two seasons as UT’s No. 3 running back, he has accumulated 1,001 yards rushing, averaged 6.1 yards per carry and scored 14 touchdowns. Not bad for a third-stringer.

He will have more than running ability in his favor. With Iamaleava at quarterback and an upgraded receiving corps, Tennessee’s passing game should flourish. You know what that could mean for a running back in Heupel’s offense.

His offense functions best when balanced – when he can scheme wide lanes for his running backs as well as his receivers. Both lanes should widen this season. The result: More big plays.

More open space isn’t acquired through scheme alone. It also takes grunt work. If Tennessee’s offensive line plays up to expectations, that shouldn’t be a problem.

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You got a glimpse of how prolific a Heupel offense could be in 2021. A year later, you saw the whole show when the Vols averaged 46.1 points and 525.5 yards per game.

Iamaleava should star in the show coming soon to Neyland Stadium. But there’s room for more than one star in this offense.

So, don’t forget about Sampson.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com . Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football 2024 will be the year of Nico Iamaleava ... and Dylan Sampson | Adams