July isn’t even over, but Tennessee Football is ready to kick off fall camp. The coaches and players are meeting with the media Tuesday, and practices start Wednesday. UT enters Josh Heupel’s fourth season with tons of expectations but is also flying under the radar due to many questions. Here are the five biggest questions for the Vols’ 2024 preseason.
Will Tennessee Football find a feature back?
Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small are gone. Dylan Sampson is an athlete who doesn’t look like he could be an every down back since he’s so small. Cam Seldon has some issues with vision. As a result, the Vols don’t have a clear-cut feature back entering fall camp. Could true freshman Peyton Lewis, who was hurt in the spring, fill that void? If not, the Vols may have trouble.
Is everybody healthy for Tennessee Football?
Joe Milton III took a lot of blame for the drop-off Tennessee Football suffered last year, but Cooper Mays missed the first five games, and Bru McCoy, Keenan Pili and Dont’e Thornton all suffered season-ending injuries. All four should be 100 percent, as should other players who fought through injuries, such as Elijah Simmons. Is UT ready to go for fall camp? How healthy will they be when the year kicks off?
How improved are the Vols at DB?
Six defensive backs entered the transfer portal for the Vols, and Josh Heupel went out and added three transfers along with a freshman phenom in Boo Carter. Was this addition by subtraction in the secondary? Heupel hinted that his team is significantly deeper here. Could it be due to the combination of newcomers and more experience?
How deep are the Vols at OL?
Four players are penciled in to start for Tennessee Football: Mays, Javontez Spraggins, John Campbell Jr. and Lance Heard. Left guard favors Andrej Karic, but it’s up in the air. Who steps up there, and who is available to fill in if anybody goes down? Can Dayne Davis and Jackson Lampley be utility linemen? Is Vysen Lang ready to step up if Mays goes down at center? These are real issues.
Is Nico Iamaleava ready to take the reigns?
After his efficient performance in the Citrus Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes, Nico Iamaleava excited Tennessee Football fans everywhere over what could be in store for 2024. Now, he’s the full-time starter with Milton gone, and with fall camp underway, how elite could he be with two more conditioning sessions and a spring practice period under his belt?
