Sad news:Joshua Kenneth Heupel Tennessee volunteers head coach terminated his contract with volunteers today after…..
of
The 5 players the Tennessee Vols can’t afford to lose in 2024 if they’re going to reach the College Football Playoff
The 5 players the Tennessee Vols can’t afford to lose in 2024 if they’re going to reach the College Football Playoff
One of the biggest accomplishments during the first few years of Josh Heupel’s tenure as the head coach of the Tennessee Vols has been the program’s improved depth.
Tennessee had virtually no depth when Heupel took over in early 2021 thanks to several lean years under Jeremy Pruitt — plus the mass exodus of players that occurred after Pruitt was fired due to a massive recruiting scandal.
But thanks to several strong recruiting classes, plus a savvy approach to the transfer portal, the Vols now have quality depth at most positions. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, but it’s night and day from where the program was in 2021.
Tennessee Vols no longer in the mix for elite 5-star recruit
Read More
“This is the deepest that our roster has been at any point,” said Heupel at a Big Orange Caravan stop earlier this spring. “That’s the front lines, O-Line and D-Line, it’s our skill position. You look at our wide receiver number, just pure numbers, were deeper than we’ve been.”
“We got to continue to grow,” added Heupel. “But, certainly at this point, it’s the deepest that we’ve been within our roster.”
Despite the Vols’ improved depth, there are still a few players on the roster that Tennessee can’t afford to lose this fall if the program is going to have a legitimate chance to reach the newly expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Here are the five players on the Vols’ roster that the program can least afford to lose in 2024.
1. Nico Iamaleava — Quarterback
It wouldn’t be an accurate list if it didn’t include some obvious names. The Vols obviously can’t lose their five-star starting quarterback. One of the biggest reasons the Vols are viewed as a top 15 team entering the 2024 season is because of Iamaleava and his ceiling as a player. This is a player that has the potential to win a Heisman Trophy and go No. 1 overall in the draft. If he goes down, the Vols’ expectations in 2024 go from reaching the playoff to hopefully just reaching a decent bowl game.
2. Cooper Mays — Center
We saw last season just how important Cooper Mays is to the Vols’ offense. This will be Mays’ fourth (and final) season in Heupel’s offense. He knows the offense as well as any player that will take the field for Tennessee in 2024. And because he plays center, his experience is especially important. It’s Mays that’s making calls and adjustments for the offensive line. His ability to identify and diagnose in real time is critical to the Vols’ success. And for now, there’s no one on the roster that can step into his role and perform at a similar level.
3. James Pearce — EDGE
Tennessee is fortunate to have several talented edge rusher options on their roster. Pearce, however, is viewed as the best overall player in college football by some media outlets. And it goes without saying that you probably need the best player in the sport if you’re going to win a championship — especially when that player affects the opposing quarterback the way that Pearce does.
4. Keenan Pili — Linebacker
I don’t think losing Keenan Pili in the season-opener last year gets talked about enough when discussing Tennessee’s 9-4 record last season. Pili has NFL talent and he has a ton of experience. He played well against Virginia in the 2023 opener and he looked poised to be a huge asset for the Vols’ defense before his injury. Tennessee has some nice depth behind Pili, but it would be impossible to replace the experience that the former BYU standout brings to the field. Pili is also excellent in coverage, which is something Tennessee has missed in its linebackers in recent years.
5. Dylan Sampson — Running Back
Running backs may be undervalued in the NFL, but they’re still game-changing forces in college football.
Sampson is by far the most experienced running back on Tennessee’s roster. He’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball and he’s much improved in pass protection. The Vols have some talented, albeit unproven, options behind Sampson so it’s not like it’s a dire situation where there’s no depth, but losing the Louisiana native would still be a massive hit to the Vols’ offense.
Recent comments from former Oklahoma DC Mike Stoops are ironic considering the way Josh Heupel was fired by Sooners
Read More
