“Competing to be our best individually and collectively as a group. Got great leadership on this team.” That’s how Josh Heupel set the tone ahead of Tennessee’s first fall camp. But that leadership is being tested in real time. The Vols’ College Football Playoff debut ended in a 42–17 collapse against Ohio State, and the offseason brought fresh turmoil—none bigger than the spring exit of starting QB Nico Iamaleava and the restructuring around App State transfer Joey Aguilar. But that’s only the beginning. Analyst Adam Spencer didn’t mince words when assessing Tennessee’s outlook. 

 On the 7th August episode of Saturday Down South, he admitted, “I am low on Tennessee this year…I think their over/under is at 8 and a half. I think that they’re going to come in under that.” While he picked the Vols over Oklahoma in his SEC power rankings, that vote of confidence stemmed more from scheduling quirks than actual belief in Tennessee’s ceiling. “Yes, they’re on the road, but they have at Kentucky and at Mississippi State on their schedule. So they play what I assume are both of our bottom two teams in these rankings. Oklahoma plays neither of them.” It’s a pragmatic call rooted in the quality of opponents they would face rather than faith in Tennessee as a playoff-caliber squad.

His reservations extended well beyond just the schedule. “I think that the Tennessee run game can have success,” Hall said, cautiously noting Cam Seldon’s replacement, Kaleb Bishop, “is not going to be like an All-SEC finisher or anything like that.” At quarterback, Joe Milton’s successor, Joey Aguilar, may be exciting, but is still unproven. “Even if he has some Brett Favre in him and makes some mistakes,” Hall said, Tennessee’s fate will rest on “a bet on Josh Heupel…a bet on Tim Banks specifically on defense… and on the schedule”, of course. Amid all the skepticism, however, not everyone is ready to count Tennessee out. Former Vols star Jalin Hyatt believes that Josh Heupel still has what it takes to steady the ship.

Further down in the same episode, the Vols’ record-breaking WR turned New York Giant, gave an unscripted breakdown of his old coach. “One thing about Heupel that I love about him is he has a backbone,” he said. “And the reason why I say that is because it’s his way or no way. And if you want to be a part of what’s his plan, if you want to be a part of his journey on getting you better, he will get the best version out of you... And if you don’t want to be a part of that, if you kind of want to do your own thing, if you kind of ‘Ah, I don’t really want to do this, Coach Hype’, you’re not really going to be there long. Coach Hype is very, very demanding on doing it with his plan and his way.” This isn’t just nostalgia talking because Jalin Hyatt, a guy who went from being buried in the depth chart to winning the Biletnikoff Award in 2022— the first Vols player to win it- has solid context to his verdict.  

“And only that, we seen it work. We’ve seen his vision, and that’s why I hope the players stay committed to that because Coach Heupel is very very experienced,” the former Vols star added. That vision is still alive. Even after the CFP blowout last season. Even after the offseason chaos. Tennessee still has the right coaches, the right culture, and if Hyatt’s message holds true, the right guy at the top. “He’s going to get everybody back to the Tennessee way. And that’s one thing I respect about him.” 

In a year where the outside noise is only going to get louder, the Vols have no choice but to tune it out, rally internally, and rediscover the version of themselves that once looked built for more than just a playoff cameo.