There are plenty of reasons for Tennessee Football to be excited entering 2024, but that doesn’t mean Josh Heupel’s fourth team on Rocky Top is completely without issues. Here are the five biggest concerns this season that could derail what should be a very special Vols team.
5. No backup quarterback
You always worry about losing your quarterback, and it’s even worse for UT since they have a generational quarterback who is the perfect fit for Josh Heupel’s system. However, what magnifies it is if Nico Iamaleava goes down, the Vols may have to turn to a walk-on in Gaston Moore. Sure, he knows the offense, but Jake Merklinger not emerging could be an issue.
4. Secondary a complete unknown
Record-level roster attrition seems to be a good thing here, as Tennessee Football added three proven transfers and a high-profile recruit at its weakest position while keeping the best players positioned to develop. However, there is still the unknown, so you can’t just assume that this won’t once again be the worst part of the team.
3. Key players have a history of injury
Joe Milton III may not have been a fit for the Vols’ offense, but he played with one hand tied behind his back after he lost his go-to receiver in Bru McCoy for the year, another receiver in Dont’e Thornton and his center in Cooper Mays for the first half of the year. Keenan Pili at linebacker on the other side went down for the year. McCoy, Pili and Mays are among the five best players. Will they get hurt again?
2. No reliable running back
Losing Jaylen Wright was a big deal, but Jabari Small leaving also hurt Heupel. Tennessee Football has an all-purpose back in Dylan Sampson who can’t block and a power back in Khalifa Keith who isn’t quick enough to be the feature back. DeSean Bishop is a walk-on, Cameron Seldon has no vision, and Peyton Lewis is coming off an injury. Simply put, the Vols haven’t found that feature back.
1. Lack of depth on OL
We’re not just talking about the bench here. Such lack of depth is carrying itself into the starting rotation, as Tennessee Football clearly isn’t certain of where it is at left guard with Andrej Karic. Then, the only players off the bench who can help right now are Dayne Davis and maybe Jackson Lampley, but as a whole, this unit is incredibly thin.
