ESPN's Rece Davis praises Vols while taking a not-so-subtle shot at one of college football's biggest disappointments in 2024

Put ESPN College Gameday host Rece Davis in the camp of the Vols for 2024.  Particularly, the veteran broadcaster loves what he's seeing so far on the defensive side of the ball, which has dominated in the first couple of weeks of the season.

Davis joined ESPN contributors Pete Thamel and Ryan McGee this week on the College Gameday podcast, and he explained why he thinks Tennessee could potentially in the group of teams including Texas, Georgia, and Ohio State: the defensive line.

Davis recalled what Tennessee defensive coordinator told him about the Vols' defensive line regarding a concern Davis had about the Vols' secondary, who lost 11 players since last year between the portal, the NFL, and graduations.

"So, I asked Tim Banks, their defensive coordinator, leading up to the game, I said 'what about your secondary? Are you worried about your secondary?' And he said, 'a good secondary starts with a great front.'

"Tennessee's got a great front, and those guys in the back are talented, but they've got time now.  They've got time to get better, and they don't have to cover for long.  Not with those game wreckers up front."

After noting a small concern about needing to see a little bit more between Nico and his wide receivers (not unfair after two weeks), Davis mentioned again the defensive front being so good and being able to travel, as he put it.

He also mentioned a team whose defensive front should have been on that level this year but hasn't: Florida State.

"That's a really, really good - that's as strong of a front - that's what we should have seen from Florida State, Pete.  All your scout buddies that are talking about Florida State?  Have them go to Knoxville.  That's where they're going to find some dudes.  They're going to find some dudes in Knoxville up front ."

It's hard to argue with any of that through the early stages of this season.  Tennessee's defensive line has been worthy of that emphatic praise from Davis.  The entire two-deep unit has been effective and executed at a high level.

Meanwhile, the Seminoles have been nothing short of disastrous this year, and especially up front on their defense.  What was believed to have been a strength has been one of the worst areas on their team.  Georgia Tech blew open truck-sized holes in Dublin during their 24-21 win.  Boston College drove up and down the field methodically last Monday night in their 28-13 upset win over the Noles in Tallahassee, controlling the line of scrimmage in the process.

So yes, while guys might get love over the offseason, like Florida State's line apparently did (at least with Thamel's contacts, it sounds like), the Vols are proving that sometimes it's best to just wait until the season gets underway before you really know where the dudes are going to be for the season.

Because like Davis said: there's some of those in Knoxville this year.

Related: Tennessee Vols player explains Josh Heupel's intense way of preparing him for the season