The Volquest staff season picks
Coming off last season’s unexpected year that saw Tennessee beat Florida and Alabama in the regular season and cap off the year with a bowl win over Clemson, plenty of eyes are on the Vols in 2023.
Was last year a one off or does Josh Heupel really have Tennessee back?
With kickoff eight days away, the Volquest staff locks in their season picks for the Vols.
Brent’s pick
Yes, much of Tennessee’s success will depend on the play of quarterback Joe Milton who has patiently waited his turn learning behind Hendon Hooker and helping lead the program a year ago. But it’s not all on Milton.
How does the offensive line hold up as they replace two key starters and start the year without veteran Cooper Mays? And then defensively does Tennessee make another jump? Tennessee’s defense, under coordinator Tim Banks, last year was better the many give them credit for. They improved significantly from year one to year two, now what kind of jump can they make is year three.
The reality is that Tennessee’s offense won’t be record setting this fall so there’s a bit of a step back likely coming. But the defense can step forward and the schedule on paper doesn’t look as daunting as a year ago.
There are key games like the early season trip to The Swamp and hosting Texas A&M. And there are other league challenges as well, but I think this is a program that’s continuing to improve and I don’t see any major fall off from a year ago.
Give me the Vols with nine regular-season wins heading into a bowl game.
Austin’s pick
Finally! Tennessee finally had a double-digit win season last fall. It had been a long time coming for anyone that follows this program. Now the climb back to 10 wins in 2023 begins. Tennessee has a deeper and more veteran-led team this fall. There are also some key questions that will need to be answered like the offensive line and safety positions.
Tennessee will look to win in Gainesville for the first time in 20 years next month. It’s a Florida team that will limp into this 2023 season with not much going for it minus the recruiting trail. Win that one and the Vols have a great shot to head into the bye week in October undefeated. The game with Texas A&M will be a tough one but you do get the Aggies at home which is a huge plus. Alabama and Georgia are still Alabama and Georgia.
This ultimately comes down to blocking things up upfront, and how Joe Milton plays this fall. Tennessee could easily get to double-digit wins, but I will go 9-3 and a real chance to get to 10 wins and to Orlando for the bowl game.
Grant’s pick
There are so many questions about this Tennessee football team.
Obviously it starts with Joe Milton III getting his third chance as a college football starting quarterback. How much changes in the transition from Hendon Hooker to Joe Milton? It continues with the offensive line. What does Tennessee’s starting five look like against Virginia and how many players to the Vols rotate up front?
Then there’s the new wave of wide receivers. It’s easy to like the potential of Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton, Squirrel White and Dont’e Thornton. But life without Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman is still life without Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman.
The questions stretch to the other side of the ball, too. The Vols have more depth and talent on defensively, but does it translate to more defensive success? How consistently can they pressure the quarterback? Who are the best four, five or six in the secondary? How high is the ceiling for this group of linebackers?
And with all those questions, what keeps coming to mind for me is the benefit of the doubt that Josh Heupel clearly deserves after his first two seasons.
Not many people expected seven wins and a bowl game in Year 1 with a severely depleted roster. I don’t know anyone that expected 11 wins last season, not to mention an 8-0 start, a No. 1 ranking the first College Football Playoff Top 25 of the season, a Heisman Trophy contender at quarterback or a consensus First Team All-American and Biletnikoff Award winner at wide receiver.
But Heupel has continually answered all the questions — and there have been a million — since he showed up in Knoxville in January 2021. So why does that stop now?
Milton seems to say all the right things and do all the right things. It’s easy to expect the offense to put the big numbers that everyone is used to from a Heupel offense. And it’s easy to think the defense can take some steps forward with more depth, more experience and more talent.
I don’t know what happens at Alabama and at home against Georgia. But I’ll give Heupel the benefit of the doubt against the rest of the schedule. The Vols go 10-2 and continue the program’s rapid rise under Heupel.
Eric’s pick
Congrats everybody – we made it through the offseason. College football is officially back this weekend with the Vols set to get going in Nashville next Saturday. Last season was a blast to be a part of. Winning teams are fun to cover and the excitement from the entire fanbase was awesome to see.
For the 2023 campaign, it begins and ends with Joe Milton at quarterback. Has the sixth-year senior truly improved his accuracy? Has he developed touch on his throws down the field? Can he make the right decisions over and over again? All signs point to him being one of the most dangerous men in college football right now. Let’s see if he can do it week-after-week. If he does, this team will fly.
I love where this group is at receiver and running back. There’s some serious depth and play-making ability there. The tight ends have had a great camp and you know of their importance in this offense. I like the depth and options in the front-seven and believe they will be the reason for another positive step on defense. I truly believe they will play more in the secondary this season with a key addition in Gabe Jeudy-Lally and the emergence of Andre Turrentine. With a consistent rush, that backend can be better – much better in 2023.
My biggest question resides on the offensive line. I do not think it will be a poor unit, but I do not think it will be better than last year’s group. I have serious questions about left guard and Cooper Mays needs to get back like yesterday. I’m confident the offensive tackle play will be good enough. It’s going to be musical chairs the first few weeks – in my opinion – but can you be settled and have a direction up front by week 3?
The schedule is daunting, as is every Southeastern Conference slate. Tennessee should smoke Florida but playing in the Swamp is never easy for this program. Can you avenge last year’s showing in Columbia with South Carolina at Neyland this fall? Texas A&M at home off a BYE is good for Tennessee. Tennessee can beat Alabama but a road game in Tuscaloosa is a challenge, even with quarterback questions. Kentucky on the road is not a gimme. We all know about the big one on November 18.
Give me Tennessee to win nine games in the regular season for only the second time since 2007. I think this squad can certainly win 10 games with good quarterback play. If Tennessee wins nine regular-season games despite losing all it did from last year’s team, I believe that qualifies as the Vols being ‘back’ and here to stay.
Rob’s pick
If you’re bullish on Tennessee (and by bullish, I mean you think nine wins is solid, 10 is very good) then you’re very likely in the camp that thinks Joe Milton is going to be just fine. I’m in that camp.
I don’t expect Milton to be the incredibly smooth operator that Hendon Hooker was last all. I do expect him to be able to operate Josh Heupel’s offense, which has proven itself to be very quarterback friendly.
That offense has also proven itself to be a playgound for receivers, and Tennessee has some tantalizing potential at the position. Everyone wants to see what Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton can do, but there’s plenty to like in returnees Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and cagey veteran Ramel Keyton.
The offensive line has to find some answers–and get healthy. The new additions at tight end have to contribute. The tailbacks are solid with some intriguing young talent in Cam Seldon and a veteran in Jaylen Wright who many think is ready to break out.
Defensively the biggest challenge is obvious. The Vols have to defend the pass better. From the looks of things, it appears that improvement is going to be incumbent on some familiar faces taking strides as individuals and as a unit. There’s experience in the back end and some exciting young talent, but the bottom line is they have to be better in the secondary.
That secondary would be helped if the Vols can find a pass rush. Who replaces Byron Young’s production? There are some candidates on the edges, but no real proven production.
The linebackers look solid inside with Pili and Beasley and there’s depth there for the first time in a while. There may not be a star in the defensive front, but there’s depth and experience.
This team seems confident and that starts with the head coach. It might sound cliche´, but Heupel has changed the culture at Tennessee and this group believes in itself and expects to win. They may be another recruiting class or two from winning at Tuscaloosa (though let’s see what the Tide looks like at quarterback) or knocking of Georgia, but I’ll take the Vols against everyone else on the schedule.
Give me another 10-2 season.
Matt’s pick
Tennessee has a chance to produce back-to-back ten-win seasons for the first time since the 2003 and 2004 seasons. On the heels of an 11-2 season, culminated by an Orange Bowl Victory over Clemson, expectations are high in Knoxville. Tennessee starts the season ranked No.12 in the AP poll, and high think the Vols have a chance to climb even higher.
I have questions about certain positions, but I did at this time last fall as well. The offensive line rotation will be key, but to this point, Tennessee has simply made it work. I believe Joe Milton has continued to make strides in the maturation process, and the weapons he has around him are high-caliber. But still, I don’t think this will be the record-setting offense we saw in 2022.
However, if this defense can take another step forward this fall, then Tennessee should have a chance to find similar success on the field. I like the Vols to win 10 in the regular season. There are question marks on the schedule, and as the season unfolds, my game-by-game predictions could swiftly change, but for now, I have no reason to feel like what we have seen over the first two season doesn’t continue.
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