It’s understandable if head coach Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers have been overlooked in discussions about the College Football Playoff or even the SEC regular season race.
With so much focus rightfully on Heisman favorite Carson Beck and the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs in the Sporting News composite poll, Quinn Ewers leading the Texas Longhorns, new head coach Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, and the emerging Ole Miss under Lane Kiffin with another Heisman contender in Jaxson Dart, Tennessee may have been overshadowed.
However, as highlighted in my recent top five SEC offensive rankings, just a couple of seasons ago in 2022, the Volunteers boasted the most formidable offense in college football, finishing the season as the top scoring team. Greg McElroy, ESPN analyst and former Alabama quarterback, hasn’t forgotten this and believes Tennessee could return to high-scoring form and potentially contend for the playoffs in 2024.
For McElroy’s full analysis, you can refer to the link below.
While Greg McElroy expresses confidence in Josh Heupel’s play-calling abilities, the return of a solid offensive line, and a defense anchored by top-ranked college football player and disruptive edge rusher James Pearce Jr., he does have reservations regarding the development of highly touted incoming quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava captured national attention with a standout performance in the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl at the close of the 2023 season, where he led Tennessee to a dominant 35-0 victory over Iowa. He accounted for three rushing touchdowns, threw for another, and amassed 151 passing yards without any interceptions.
The question on McElroy’s mind, and that of SEC observers and Tennessee fans alike, is whether Iamaleava will live up to the high expectations he set in the Citrus Bowl and follow in the footsteps of the successful Hendon Hooker, or if he will regress and resemble Joe Milton III, whose tenure saw Tennessee’s offense ranked only 37th in 2023.
Fans across the football spectrum should hope for the former scenario, as it could introduce another dynamic offense into the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, promising thrilling matchups throughout the season.
