We have a good team.

#26
#26
LittleVol said:
Well they’ve been playing the same game as well.

You know- “football”?

I said similar. Not the same. And they haven’t had a chance to shine yet.

Don’t care if you agree. Thanks…
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You keep being you. I enjoy posts and threads started by those just like you because it not only shares knowledge but personal insights. The reason I especially like that is because it may alter what I know and that, my friend, is education.

Keep on posting and ignore the ignorance of others!
 
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#28
#28
Teeman said:
Jourdan Thomas was in the mix to start at STAR last year before hurting his knee in fall camp. I haven't heard any updates on him. Martinez has said Kaleb Beasley will get work at safety and STAR. Dylan Lewis and Tre Poteat worked at corner and STAR in the Spring.
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Thomas may end up with a medical redshirt
 
#31
#31
ntxVOL said:
Idk man, the Vols are replacing practically the entire offense. Four new names on the OL alone means we should be very happy with 8-4.
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We are replacing experienced but VERY avg to below avg OL except for Cooper Mays. We will be more talented across the board. Heard comes in fully healthy with an entire offseason behind him. PLUS JA is worlds better at sack avoidance than Nico who was one of the worst at that in all of college football.
 
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#32
#32
ntxVOL said:
Idk man, the Vols are replacing practically the entire offense. Four new names on the OL alone means we should be very happy with 8-4.
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Fair, but consider this:

Moe > Karic
Pendleton > Spraggins
JMO but the WRs LittleVol mentioned are better players than Bru (post-injury), Squirrel, and Thornton.
Sanders > Campbell
2025 Heard > 2024 Heard
2025 Kitselman > 2024 Kitselman
Davis has the athleticism to explode if his blocking is improved.
Bishop led the team in YPC last year and didn't show the fumbling problems that plagued Sampson.
Jury is still out on Satterwhite but he is bigger, stronger, and had a higher rating as a recruit than Mays.

If Aguilar can simply avoid mistakes hit the open guys I feel confident that we'll be better on offense in 2025.
 
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#33
#33
FBtime said:
We are replacing experienced but VERY avg to below avg OL except for Cooper Mays. We will be more talented across the board. Heard comes in fully healthy with an entire offseason behind him. PLUS JA is worlds better at sack avoidance than Nico who was one of the worst at that in all of college football.
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Sorry, not drinking the kool-aid. I expect the OL to take a step back this season. Hope I'm wrong but I'll have to see it to believe any different.

BTW, I'll take experienced but avg over inexperienced but talented any day. OL especially takes time to gel. Hopefully it's not a complete dumpster fire.
 
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#35
#35
Go47 said:
I agree. 8-4 is the floor . . . Playing UF and Bama away means 10-2 is probably the ceiling. I expect 8-4 . . . I will be excited if we finish 9-3 . . . And thrilled if we finish 10-2.

I think 10-2 maybe gets us into the CFP.

7-5 would be a disappointing season and cause for concern.
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6-6 wouldn't bother me if our QB play never materialized. But Heupel won't let that happen
 
#36
#36
LittleVol said:
I’m critical of Heupel and how loyal he is to his staff. But you got to give the man credit. He’s legitimately made Tennessee a stable and excitable program again.

Look at every position and you will find a blue chip there or 3.

- WR room is young but looking at them run around I thought I was watching Florida State of the late 1990s. They’ll definitely be that next season with the addition of Bey and King.

- Who “could” feel in for Carter? Not one guy but we have players that can play STAR (Beasley, Redmond, Mcmurray, Merrit?) Punt Returner (Matthews, Morris,)

Not going to go down the whole roster, but imo
Aguilar can be a caretaker and out talent is still going to get is us to 9 wins. If Aguilar shines then we’re playing in Atlanta against Arch Manning and Texas.

Not sad about Nico. Not sad about Boo if he leaves. We’ve got a whole season to look forward to with a bunch of talented players!
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I hope you're right. With the portal and NIL you just about have a new team every year. The trick will be how fast the team can come together and play as a unit. Ohio St last year looked like dog crap for most of the year but they sure had things worked out by the end. Teams like OSU can afford a slow start but we cannot. One unexpected loss and our playoff chances are probably gone. The media won't go to bat to get us into the playoffs like they do for bama, osu, etc. A fast start is what we need.
 
#37
#37
I agree - we do have a good team (even with a question mark at QB / WR . . . And the ongoing saga that is Boo Carter).

Having said that . . . In the SEC good teams are usually around 6th - 9th place . . . Which is where I expect UT finishes. 8-4 with four losses in conference (UGA / BAMA / UF / one mystery team).

Then only way that’s not the case is if Joey ends up being a special QB we didn’t expect and our WRs suddenly ball out . . . And our defense plays as it did last year or better. In that case we finish 9-3 or maybe 10-2.

It could happen. Not likely.
 
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#40
#40
orangebloodgmc said:
LSU also replacing 4 starters from their OL, yet lotsa talking heads think they are a top 10 team? 🤔
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Yep. They won a NC not too long ago destroying every team they played. Almost everyone from that team has played in the Big League. Things have drastically changed as to roster construction since then. Kelly isn't equipped for such a change. He had the best QB in the country and couldn't make the playoffs

Addendum: That Daniels was viewed as an ultra talented project to the NFL was an indictment of Kelly's lack of offensive creativity and flexibility as a coach
 
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#43
#43
#1fulmerite said:
You keep being you. I enjoy posts and threads started by those just like you because it not only shares knowledge but personal insights. The reason I especially like that is because it may alter what I know and that, my friend, is education.

Keep on posting and ignore the ignorance of others!
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Seconded. Always enjoy your takes, Little. Sometimes I disagree, but that’s fine. Reasonable minds can disagree at times. You’ve always been civil and present your positions rationally.
 
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#44
#44
LittleVol said:
I’m critical of Heupel and how loyal he is to his staff. But you got to give the man credit. He’s legitimately made Tennessee a stable and excitable program again.

Look at every position and you will find a blue chip there or 3.

- WR room is young but looking at them run around I thought I was watching Florida State of the late 1990s. They’ll definitely be that next season with the addition of Bey and King.

- Who “could” feel in for Carter? Not one guy but we have players that can play STAR (Beasley, Redmond, Mcmurray, Merrit?) Punt Returner (Matthews, Morris,)

Not going to go down the whole roster, but imo
Aguilar can be a caretaker and out talent is still going to get is us to 9 wins. If Aguilar shines then we’re playing in Atlanta against Arch Manning and Texas.

Not sad about Nico. Not sad about Boo if he leaves. We’ve got a whole season to look forward to with a bunch of talented players!
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Not sad about Nico, kinda sad about Boo though. Dude shined last year as a true freshman, I can’t imagine the impact he could have year two. Unfortunately, it is out of our hands. At the end of the day, culture is more important than a single player.
 
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#45
#45
In my opinion - Texas seems to be the only team that has stronger position groups.
Their QBs and RB and DL I would put above Tennessee. Imagine that as 3-0 advantage Texas

No other team in the SEC has more than 2.
UGA LBs and Dline, maybe RB? I say no because all of their 5 stars are always injured. So advantage Tennessee as RB.
So 2-0 UGA advantage

I'm not trading our young inexperienced WR room for anybody in the be SEC. Clemson and Ohio State are the ones I would.

Our line has some new but seriously talented faces.
Moe was All-Conference.
Pendleton was like the 6th man for Notre Dame.
Sanders #1 OT in HS.
Then there's the studs we've recruited for the past 2 years.

Take what you know about the other SEC teams
Look at their position groups and simple ask yourself "would I trade our position group for theirs?'

Only UGA and Texas hold an advantage. That makes us from a talent standpoint PLAYOFF CONTENDERS again! In 2025
 
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#46
#46
Chaplain_Vol said:
Not sad about Nico, kinda sad about Boo though. Dude shined last year as a true freshman, I can’t imagine the impact he could have year two. Unfortunately, it is out of our hands. At the end of the day, culture is more important than a single player.
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Only if the culture is filled with other talented players 😉.

And that's where I'm getting at. Boo stepped in as a true freshman and became a strength of the team. A talented team yet he made an impact anyway. But there's other dudes there that can carry his duties. That the truth of the matter.

I wish the kid good luck in whatever, but honestly Boo's Mom and Nico's father need to hook up hahaha.
 
#47
#47
OffTackleVol said:
I wish I could like this post a dozen times.........8-4 is the floor. 4-0 nonconference and 4-4 SEC. If I was forced to bet a lot of money on an exact overall record, it's a coin flip between 9-3 and 10-2. But, there' not a game on the schedule we can't win.
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This is how I feel. GBO! May the bounces go our way and we make our own breaks!!!
 
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#48
#48
LittleVol said:
Only if the culture is filled with other talented players 😉.

And that's where I'm getting at. Boo stepped in as a true freshman and became a strength of the team. A talented team yet he made an impact anyway. But there's other dudes there that can carry his duties. That the truth of the matter.

I wish the kid good luck in whatever, but honestly Boo's Mom and Nico's father need to hook up hahaha.
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Hopefully, this is a wake-up call for Boo and he gets it together.
 
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#49
#49
Woodlawn VOL said:
This is how I feel. GBO! May the bounces go our way and we make our own breaks!!!
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I CHOOSE to believe that general depth will be solid with better overall talent from our last few years of both HS and targeted portal pickups. Don’t think the very public youth challenge would have been thrown out there if he did not think they were up to the task.

Prime example is four first year guys at WR. Like our chances to add some playmakers from that group if they are students of the game.

RB room may not have the breakout guy, but looks like consistent production from the room is a real threat. Returning to tempo could be the plan, and live ball sub patterns don’t have to change but who runs out there after dead balls can provide versatility. Especially early by dividing up the playbook and letting live ball production set the depth chart.

Both rooms can make the required QB learning curve an easier task. Here too, may the best man win, and may the next guy up earn lots of real snaps situationally. Need that guy to be ready.

I look for less frustration due to unrealized potential on this side of the ball. Less 4th and 2’s, dropped passes, overthrows, pre-snap penalties. All things that synergy can fix if positive energy pervades the room.

Practice starts soon and we can hope that real leadership comes back in these skill rooms, and that similar gains are down the hall in the OL and TE rooms.

A huge weight of unrealized expectation at QB has left town,
 
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#50
#50
hillsborovol said:
Agreed. However, I have underestimated the Heupel-coached team every single year. I hope this year keeps the trend going.
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8-4 is probably where we'll finish. I dont see a path to beating Georgia at all. Beating Alabama at Brian Dennehy stadium will be a tall order and Deboer has notoriously been very successful in his 2nd year. We haven't won in Gainesville since George W was in office. And I think we drop one that we are favored in because...thats what Huepel teams do (I'm thinking Oklahoma).
 
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