Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel isn’t winning in player retention like he did last offseason
Josh Heupel, the head football coach at Tennessee, is keeping a large portion of his depth chart, much like he did the previous season. Adam Sparks of The Knoxville News Sentinel, meanwhile, is concerned that this cycle’s reintroduction of underclassmen won’t have the same effect as that of last year’s reintroduction of super-seniors.
Due to retention, UT coaches are likely more upbeat than some supporters. Iamaleava, Matthews, Carter, All-American cornerback Jermod McCoy, tight end Miles Kitselman, and sufficient defensive line depth were all retained by the Vols, according to Sparks.
Since the Vols were bringing back seniors in their fifth and sixth years, that optimism made more sense during the previous offseason. Starters were returning for another season as a result of retention.
“This is not the same. Freshmen will mostly replace the Vols’ senior class and portal losses. Once more, UT is still adding transfers. However, there are still large gaps on the depth chart.
Although Sparks brings up the gateway in this passage, he expressed concerns in December on the Volunteers’ inability to replace their veterans through the transfer portal.
You might be in the wrong spot if you’re hoping that the Vols will use the gateway to replace all of their experienced players. Sparks noted, “The math indicates that UT has already made the decision to go younger by filling the 2025 roster with freshmen instead of a big haul of transfers.”
“UT will continue to add transfers at critical need positions. However, don’t count on the portal to seal every hole.
The media doesn’t think Tennessee will make it back to the College Football Playoffs in 2025. Instead, CFP leaps are anticipated for teams like Auburn and Florida.
With a quarterback like Nico Iamaleava, Heupel shouldn’t be losing to teams that haven’t shown they can win under their current coaching. Hugh Freeze and Billy Napier, however, seem to have greater financial backing.
In the NIL era, that is what prevails. In 2024, Heupel lacked the on-field talent to back Iamaleava. He has few opportunities to address that.
