As a burnt orange, you must’ve had that feeling about Knoxville that something isn’t right. For some, Josh Heupel has turned Tennessee into a winner again. Ten wins, a College Football Playoff appearance, and a program that should, in theory, be a force in the SEC. And yet, heading into 2025, there’s silence. No national buzz. No “watch out for Tennessee” hype. The Vols are getting a shoulder shrug from the college football world, and that’s not sitting well in Knoxville. The “disrespect” is palpable, and it’s not just about the lack of recognition. A blast from the past, about the lingering doubts surrounding Nico Iamaleava as QB1.
This offseason should have been about momentum. Instead, it’s been about, “Tennessee football being disrespected by the national media this offseason simply due to the lack of moves.” The Vols didn’t make splashy portal moves like their SEC rivals, instead opting for roster retention over headline-grabbing additions. That didn’t win them any favors in the rankings, as 247 Sports pegged Tennessee’s transfer class at No. 88 nationally—dead last in the SEC. That alone was enough to fuel the disrespect talk, but then came the bigger conversation: Did Tennessee mishandle Nico Iamaleava’s development by not starting him earlier in 2023? If they had committed to the freshman, would the program be in a different position right now?
Locked On Vols’ Eric Gain raised the question, noting that Iamaleava was raw entering last season, both physically and mentally. “I’m not going to sit here and say that Tennessee messed up by not playing Nico from game one. I mean, you’re talking about a true freshman who was still very, very raw, who still—I know he looks skinny right now, but he’s put on a lot of weight since that moment. So he still wasn’t physically kind of where they wanted him to be.”
That hesitation made sense early on, but by the middle of the season, it became a tougher debate. Gain pointed out that Joe Milton had started playing his best football around the Alabama and Kentucky games, making a midseason switch even more complicated. “Joe Milton was your starting quarterback all year long, up until the bowl game, and then that’s when Nico took over.”
Milton really had that security blanket around him that #8 lacked. Gain brought up the elephant in the room—the Vols’ shaky offensive line. “Why didn’t Nico start from day one? Well, look at the tackle situation for Tennessee. There’s not another viable option where you can just say without a shadow of a doubt, ‘Oh, Tennessee will be fine with that guy.’ I mean, Joe Milton—sure, Joe Milton wasn’t winning any Heisman or anything, but Tennessee had a great security blanket with Joe Milton.” If Tennessee had to keep Iamaleava on the bench because of pass protection issues, how much progress has really been made up front?
That’s where Tennessee’s roster-building approach this offseason comes into question. While programs like Georgia, Alabama, and LSU were out loading up on game-changing talent, the Vols went bargain hunting. They added only four players from the portal—Arizona OL Windell Moe, Alabama WR Amari Jefferson, Duke RB Star Thomas, and Notre Dame OL Sam Pendleton. To be fair, the roster retention is not the “hottest” thing in CFB right now. Josh Heupel was able to hang on to a slew of important pieces like Mike Matthews, Boo Carter, DeSean Bishop including Nico, but that didn’t impress the camera man. None of those moves screamed “instant impact.”
So now, Tennessee finds itself in an awkward spot. They have their guy at quarterback, but a natty confidence is yet to be seen.
ESPN gives a chance to Heupel and Tennessee to get their “respect” back
Josh Heupel has his squad locked and loaded for 2025, with Nico Iamaleava and a crew of experienced vets retained. Now, it’s time for the Vols’ head coach to silence the critics and get his respect back. ESPN has already circled a “season-defining” game on Tennessee’s schedule as the ultimate test—the one that could define their entire season.
That game? The Third Saturday in October showdown against Alabama.
Tennessee checks in at No. 19 in ESPN’s “way-too-early” Top 25, and analyst Harry Lyles Jr. didn’t mince words about the importance of this matchup. “The Third Saturday in October is officially back,” he wrote. After endurig 15 straight losses to the Tide from 2007 to 2021, Tennessee snapped the streak in 2022 and has won two of the last three in the series. But this time, the battle is in Tuscaloosa, making it arguably the toughest game on their schedule.
If Heupel wants to reestablish Tennessee as a true contender, this is the moment to do it. Win this one, and you might just be back in business.
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