Josh Heupel heads to Dallas with Cooper Mays, Keenan Pili and Omari Thomas Tuesday as Tennessee Football gets set to take the podium for SEC Media Days 2024. Here are five questions the Vols should answer while they are the center of attention in Texas along with the Oklahoma Sooners, Georgia Bulldogs and Missouri Tigers.
Why didn’t James Pearce Jr. or Nico Iamaleava come?
Seniority is a thing, but this is shaping up to be a historic quarterback year in the SEC, and Heupel didn’t even bring Nico Iamaleava, the most hyped-up Tennessee Football quarterback since Peyton Manning. James Pearce Jr., meanwhile, may be the best edge rusher in the nation. At some point, you’ve got to go for the star power over the experience. What caused Heupel and UT not to?
How special of leaders are Keenan Pili, Omari Thomas?
Let’s get Cooper Mays out of the way. He’s an obvious leader who has stood out for years on Rocky Top. However, Keenan Pili has only played one game in his career with UT, and Omari Thomas is a defensive lineman who went to SEC Media Days last year. Why does Thomas go again, and why does Pili go at all? What is so special about them as leaders?
Josh Heupel rivalries with OU, Missouri
With ties to the old Big 12 as a former OU quarterback, Heupel has plenty of experience with the Sooners and facing the Missouri Tigers. Now, he and Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz have beef, and he is still bitter about OU firing him and Mizzou not naming him head coach years ago. With all three on the stage Tuesday at the event, How does Heupel feel about each?
Is Tennessee Football all in for 2024?
Rocky Top seems to be adopting the Michigan Wolverines model as Heupel focuses heavily on this upcoming season. That involves keeping everybody valuable and prioritizing that over transfer portal players. It seems as if that’s how the NIL money was diverted. Does this mean Heupel is putting all his eggs in a national title basket for this year?
DB rotation, LG, RB for Tennessee Football
When it comes to a specific question on the gridiron, Tennessee Football brings concerns to left guard, running back and the secondary. Pretty much everywhere else has been figured out, but who starts for the Vols in those spots? If UT doesn’t figure out the two offensive questions, they’ll have another drawback relative to expectations for Heupel.
