Tennessee Volunteers:
Josh Heupel is building something spectacular in Knoxville. Over the last two years, the Volunteers are 20-6 and have won two bowl games. Heupel consistently pumps out explosive offenses, and that’s not changing with Nico Iamaleava under center. The first-year starter was a five-star recruit with offers from every top school in the nation. He’s viewed as a program-changing talent, and he should lift up an offense that looks like it’s missing a playmaker on paper.
If Tim Banks can find a way to get this defense to outperform expectations, the Volunteers will flirt with one of the final spots in the College Football Playoff. But even if he doesn’t, this is a team with the potential to win nine or 10 games. And there are a lot of players on this roster that should be around next year, so the future is insanely bright on Rocky Top.
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Offense
Iamaleava threw for 151 yards with a touchdown and no picks against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl, and he also added 27 yards and three scores on the ground. That was a Hawkeyes defense that was amongst the best in the nation in 2023. That’s a good sign of things to come for Iamaleava, who many believe will be the best quarterback in the SEC rather quickly. He can make every throw that Heupel will ask of him, and he’s also a good runner. Iamaleava also has a good group of wideouts, with Bru McCoy now healthy and Squirrel White poised to make a leap. Tennessee also added Tulane transfer Chris Brazzell II, who should be reliable immediately. And the Vols also have some stud underclassmen.
If the Tennessee offensive line holds up, there’s no reason this can’t be one of the best offenses in college football. That’s no guarantee with a decent amount of turnover up front, but it was massive that the team brought in left tackle Lance Heard. If he can live up to his potential, the line will be just fine. And that would mean another solid year running the football as well.
Defense
James Pearce Jr. might be the best defensive player in the conference. Last season, he had 10 sacks for this Volunteers defense and he should continue to live in the backfield. Tennessee also returns Omari Thomas and Bryson Eason, so there’s a good amount of production coming back along the defensive line. That should be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks and running backs.
The issue on defense is that Tennessee is working in entirely new groups at linebacker and defensive back. This is a big-name brand and people want to play here, so the Vols did load up in the transfer portal. But it could take them a while to find their footing defensively, as they won’t have any continuity to work with. Fortunately, the early-season schedule will allow them to work through things.
Outlook
I think the Volunteers are probably a year or two away from reaching their full potential, even if Pearce ends up going to the NFL after the season. However, I still think Tennessee is going to win at least nine games in 2024. Even if I do think there’s room for improvement on both sides of the ball, the schedule isn’t that daunting.
Pick: Over 8.5 Wins
