Sports

JOSH LANE 2021 Sports Editor

Tennessee has hired a new football coach. The university announced on Jan. 27 that Josh Heupel will be the program’s next head football coach. Heupel will take over following the firing of Jeremy Pruitt on Jan. 18 for multiple Level 1 and Level 2 NCAA violations.

Heupel brings a lot of experience to Knoxville. He was the head coach at the University of Central Florida for three years and was hired at UCF in 2017 by Danny White, who was the athletic director there at the time and is now the Vols’ AD.

Heupel had a standout career as a quarterback at Oklahoma under head coach Bob Stoops. In 2000, he finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up, as well as an All-American, the AP Player of the Year and a Walter Camp Award winner. Heupel led the Sooners to an undefeated season and a national championship that same season.

After a brief stint in the NFL, Heupel returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant to Stoops. In 2006, he was named the quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma, where he had great suc-

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cess. Heupel coached Sam Bradford in 2008, his Heisman Trophy winning year.

In 2010, Heupel was promoted to the Sooners’ co-offensive coordinator, where he was in charge of calling plays. He served in this role until 2015, when he was fired following an 8-5 season.

“It gave me a chance in some ways,“ Heupel said of his firing. “Just to kind of restart and look at what I want to do on the offensive side of the football. . . . It gave me an opportunity to reshift my focus on what I wanted to be as far as an identity on the offensive side of football.”

Heupel spent one season as the offensive coordinator at Utah State and two seasons in the SEC as Missouri’s quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator, where the Tigers led the SEC in total offense.

That brings Heupel’s career up to 2017, when as mentioned earlier, he was hired by White as

UCF’s head coach, following the departure of Scott Frost. In his first season, the Knights went 12-0, before losing to LSU in the Fiesta bowl. He followed that up with a 10-3 record in 2019 and most recently went 6-4 in the shortened 2020 season.

Though Heupel has just three seasons of head coaching experience, he has been a winner at every stop of his career. He is an offensive-minded coach, and his time at UCF says as much.

The Knights have ranked in the top-eight nationally in scoring offense and have averaged at least 42.2 points per game in all three seasons he’s been at the helm. They averaged at least 522.7 yards of total offense in his time there. And even in the uncertainties of the year 2020, Heupel had offensive success.

The 6-4 record does not look great, but it is somewhat deceiving. UCF lost three regular-season games by a combined 12 points, before being blown out in the Boca Raton Bowl by BYU.

As a former quarterbacks coach, Heupel knows how to work with his quarterbacks. UCF ran a fast-paced, explosive offense that was second in passing, averaging 373 yards per game. Heupel’s quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a former three-star recruit, also ranked second in passing yards per game at 335.3 behind Florida’s Kyle Trask. Other quarterbacks Heupel has coached include Drew Lock, McKenzie Milton and Landry Jones.

Heupel’s style of offense doesn’t match the pro style Tennessee ran under offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. However, the 42-year old isn’t concerned about implementing his offense.

“We’ve done it successfully multiple times, different places that I’ve been,” Heupel said. “Your coaches have to get caught up to speed on what you’re doing if they haven’t been inside of the system. You got to coach your coaches. And then your coach has got to put in time with your players. And there’s only one way to get where you need to be, and that’s time, effort and energy. And our players have to be willing to go above and beyond to get to where we need to be. We will be able to get there, no question in my mind.”

For a program like Tennessee, which has had numerous problems at the quarterback position these last few seasons, having a coach that can get the best out of his passer will be a welcome change.

Heupel’s recruiting does not stand out as a great strength the way that Pruitt’s did when he was first hired. In his three seasons at Central Florida, his classes were ranked 62nd, 60th and 75th respectively, by 247 Sports. He did not land any four or five-star recruits during that period.

However, with the way Heupel can develop offensive personnel, specifically quarterbacks, recruiting might not be the biggest issue for the Volunteers. Tennessee already has a former four-star quarterback in Harrison Bailey on its sideline. With the potential Bailey showed in his limited playing time last season and Heupel’s coaching, Tennessee might have one of the top offenses in 2021.

Heupel is a great offensive mind, but one area of concern from his time in Central Florida was the defensive play; now that’s not totally his fault, but it should be important to UT, which finished in the middle of the SEC in team defense last year and recently lost linebackers Henry To’o To’o and Quavaris Crouch to the transfer portal.

In Heupel’s first year at UCF, his defense was No. 95 in the nation. In 2019, his defense was much improved, ranked at No. 42 nationally, while holding its opponents to 346.1 yards per game. The group took a step in the wrong direction last season, falling to No. 123 of 127 after allowing 491.8 yards per game. Of course, that is not his primary area of concern, but those numbers are somewhat alarming.

Nevertheless, the potential Heupel brings to Knoxville kicks off a promising era of Tennessee football.

JOSH LANE 2021 Sports Editor

There won’t be a single aspect of Josh Heupel’s first year at Tennessee under a microscope more than his quarterback room. The biggest selling point of Heupel’s hire was his ability to develop quarterbacks, an area that Tennessee football has been sorely lacking for years.

With spring practices over and the summer session about to begin, here is a look at Heupel’s crowded quarterback room and see where things stand.

Brian Maurer

Hooker is the most experienced quarterback of this group, as he started the last two seasons at Virginia Tech. Last year, Hooker led the Hokies to a 5-6 record while throwing for 1,339 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions. Hooker is an elite dual-threat option, and he’s totaled 247 carries for 1,033 yards and 15 touchdowns in his career.

His speed and athleticism should work tremendously in Heupel’s tempo-based offense. In the Orange and White game, Hooker was 10-of-14 for 111 yards and a touchdown in the air, while he ran for 13 yards and a touchdown. He did, however, have the game’s lone interception.

After a promising freshman campaign in 2019, Maurer took a big step backwards in 2020 as he fell down the depth chart. He played in just four games in 2020 and completed 2-of-6 passes for nine yards and no touchdowns. Maurer was slightly more successful on the ground where he recorded 41 rushing yards of five carries.

Maurer has been with Tennessee the longest of anyone on this list, so there is plenty of familiarity there with the team. His strong arm fits much better in Heupel’s offense than it did with Jim Cheney’s last year. For what it’s worth, Maurer was the first quarterback out in the 2021 Orange and White game, where he threw for 171 yards and a touchdown.

Harrison Bailey

Bailey shared the majority of snaps in 2020 after Jarrett Guarantano was benched. As a true freshman, Bailey threw for 578 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 70% of his passes. The former fivestar recruit showed flashes of potential in limited action. He was an accurate passer, but had a poor pocket presence. Bailey often struggled to move the ball downfield as a result of him holding the ball too long.

This should be less of an issue for Bailey in Heupel’s fast-tempo offense, and the results seemed to have paid off early. He threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns in the Orange and White game, including a 73-yard touchdown pgss to Jack Jancek.

Joe Milton

Milton is coming off a mixed junior campaign at Michigan. He started four of six games for the Wolverines, throwing for 1,077 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions. Against rival Michigan State, Milton totaled 300 passing and 59 rushing yards, but he was benched after a miserable nineof-19, 98 yard and two interception performance against Wisconsin.

Milton might be the biggest wild card in this race, as he committed to transfer to UT on April 19, right in the middle of spring practices. As such, Milton did not get to spend the spring with the team, but he is making up for the lost time, already living in Knoxville over the summer. The graduate transfer will be immediately eligible, and he has some familiarity with Heupel, as he was offered by Missouri while Heupel was serving there as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Prediction

Even as recently as the Orange and White game, Heupel said this quarterback race was still “wide open.” He is in the process of implementing his full playbook, so Heupel wouldn’t commit to one guy so early on, and probably won’t until well into the fall.

If I had to pick, though, I think Hooker will get the starting nod under center. His dual-threat ability pairs nicely with Heupel’s fast-paced offense, and his previous starting experience gives him an advantage over the rest of the somewhat inexperienced group.

ETHAN STONE 2021 Assistant Sports Editor

Tennessee fans are eager to see what first-year head coach Josh Heupel will bring to the field this coming fall season. Admittedly, it’s no surprise why the fans are so restless — Heupel looks to bring a fastpaced, highly volatile offense to the Volunteer State in hopes of waking some of the Tennessee faithful still fast asleep holding over from last year’s squad.

There are some still questioning the efficacy of Heupel’s brand new offensive strategy; more accurately, who will execute it? After all, this past offseason gave way to turnover the Tennessee football program hadn’t seen in decades, and key positions such as running back and O-line were left almost barren when the dust had settled.

Here’s a look at some of the new faces the offense expects to see this fall.

Battle for starting QB

Virginia Tech’s former starting quarterback Hendon Hooker announced his intent to transfer to the Vols in January and immediately became a fan favorite to win the starting position.

It’s no surprise why, either. Hooker’s natural dual-threat playstyle compliments Heupel’s up-tempo offense well, and it stands to reason that a transfer under a first year coach has as much of an opportunity as anyone holding over from the current roster such as sophomores Harrison Bailey or Brian Maurer.

“I was looking for a place to call home, [somewhere] that I could communicate well with my coaches,” Hooker said to Austin Price and Chris Low in January. “Somewhere where I could showcase my talents to the best of my abilities.”

Joining Hooker from the transfer market is former Michigan quarterback Joe Milton. In his five starts at Michigan, the former four-star prospect threw for 1,000 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions before being replaced after a lackluster start against Rutgers in week six. Michigan media pins this unusual drop-off in production to a nagging thumb injury Milton suffered in the offseason.

Tennessee also added the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the 2021 class in Kaidon Salter, though his status on the depth chart is questionable after a suspension in early March.

A new, untested backfield

Eric Gray and Ty Chandler, two of the Vols’ top running backs departed from the team as well. The duo was a bright spot on a seemingly unmotivated offense under Jeremy Pruitt, combining for 1,452 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns in 2020. This presents a major challenge to the new administration — one that will look to implement the run as a primary weapon often.

If the Orange and White game is a testament, however, the Volunteer faithful have little to worry about as far as backfield production is concerned. Jaylen Wright and Tiyon Evans look to pick up right where Gray and Chandler left off, along with previously underutilized sophomore Jabari Small. Though Evans did not participate in the spring game, his accolade as the No. 1 ranked JUCO prospect is certainly something to take note of when looking to fill shoes such as Gray and Chandler.

Wright has enormous upside as well. The freshman signee has shown a burst of speed similar to that of Gray, and his early touchdown in the spring game proves he is looking to make an immediate impact for the Vols this season, despite some reported consistency issues in spring practice.

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Strong receiving core grows deeper

Perhaps the area for most potential among new faces is at receiver. In total, Heupel and the Volunteers added five receivers to complement the additions in the quarterback room. These names include Mississippi State transfer Javonte Payton and JUCO transfer Andison Coby, as well as three freshmen prospects in Julian Nixon, Kaemen Marley and Walker Merrill.

Merrill, especially, is seen by some as a star in the making. The four-star prospect from Brentwood was also unable to show his skills in the Orange and White Game, but presents a tough mindset and exceptional route-running ability to an already talented receiver core.

“He’s going to be a special player here as his career continues to go on,” Heupel said.

Coby and Payton are lightning quick, to put it simply. The two join the Vols via the state of Mississippi, Payton a transfer from Mississippi State and Coby from Northeast Mississippi Community College. They also bring a huge upside to an offense that wants to go fast at all times.

Payton has shown he can thrive in bursts. The Nashville native torched LSU’s defense from the slot, finishing with six receptions and 122 yards against what was at the time a top-10 defense.

Rounding out the receiver room are Nixon and Marley. Both are big, physical receivers that have experience at different positions in high school, namely tight end, safety and corner. Look for Nixon to fill some possessions at tight end along with incoming freshmen Miles Campbell and Trinity Bell.

In the trenches

The prematurely dubbed “TVA” of last season didn’t exactly pan out despite a plethora of NFL talent on the roster.

To start, Trey Smith and Brandon Kennedy were lost to the NFL draft. Sometimes, stories write themselves; Smith in particular is a player nearly impossible to replace.

Kennedy’s departure will sting as well, as leadership will be an attribute that is hard to come by for such a young team. Kennedy’s consistency at center is something many Tennessee fans could find was taken for granted in his six years of holding down the position.

Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson were lost to the transfer portal soon after Pruitt’s firing, bringing the total number of last year’s remaining starters to one: Cade Mays. He won’t go at this alone, however. Tennessee added three linemen to the team in the offseason: William Parker, Jeremiah Crawford and Amari McNeil.

Crawford is another JUCO transfer. The 6’6 tackle was recruited by Heupel at UCF, and his experience at the position will be more than welcome on a Vols roster that seems to be growing closer and closer to recruiting tackles off the street.

Parker is perhaps the most exciting addition. The Nashville native is a three-star prospect that chose the Tennessee quarterback Harrison Bailey (15) throws a pass on Saturday, Dec. 19, 2020.

Brianna Paciorka / Pool via News Sentinel

Vols over Alabama and reclassified to get a head start in spring training.

“He just is raw to the game, has to learn what to do, how to do it, but the fact that he’ll play so fast when the ball is snapped, he’ll be just fine,” Offensive Line Coach Glen Elarbee said regarding Parker.

McNeil is being eyed as a project that will pay off for the offense’s quick tempo. He was originally designated as a defensive lineman, but has instead worked drills with the O-line in hopes of making the switch. His official position has yet to be determined.

McNeil stated in an interview that he “always knew he was underrated,” and picked Tennessee over schools such as Minnesota and Memphis on National Signing Day.