One of the more entertaining posts of the year, anonymous statements from SEC coaches, is back from Athlon Sports. Every year, coaches have the opportunity to voice their opinions about other league schools on the record in an entirely anonymous manner.
When the Tennessee team was truly struggling, we’ve heard some harsh remarks over the years, but the opposition coaches are now singing a different song. Now let’s get started.
“That staff believes Nico [Iamaleava] will be the best quarterback they’ve had in that system, and they are as good as anyone on that side of the football when they have a quarterback they trust.” (Athlon)
This autumn, we’ll see if Nico can become Hendon Hooker material, but his early results in the bowl game were encouraging. The former five-star recruit might prove to be a quick replacement for Joe Milton, who had difficulty last season organizing Tennessee’s passing downfield offense.
“What they do with him this season will be the question; they don’t have a top wide receiver or clear target, but Chris Brazzell II, a Tulane transfer, is a pretty decent wide receiver.” (Athlon)
Last season, Tennessee’s receivers mainly suffered with drops, and Dont’e Thornton and Bru McCoy’s injuries didn’t help. But now that Brazzell is back and McCoy is well, the Vols have a ton of alternatives. After making an impression in the spring game, five-star recruit Mike Matthews also enters the picture. We’ll see if bringing in a new quarterback can invigorate this team.
“They’re not as good defensively as the national championship-caliber teams in this league, but they’ve improved since Josh [Heupel] took over.” Although this floor is taller, there are concerns about the secondary. (Athlon)
Tennessee has one of the finest front sixs in the league, in my opinion, with players like Omari Thomas and James Pearce. But with regard to the secondary, the coach is correct—after all, Tennessee lost every starter from the previous season. The team worked hard to replace them through the portal, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the fall. It will be interesting, to put it mildly, to have five new players.
“They are currently not among the playoff contenders, but the quarterback has the potential to be very special.” (Athlon)
This statement is consistent with the enlarged playoff, as Tennessee looks to be positioned to begin the season somewhere in the range of 15th. However, there is a realistic route forward for the Volunteers, particularly with Florida and Alabama visiting Knoxville.
This year, Mississippi State and Arkansas will alternate as Tennessee’s opponents, which is a fortuitous draw for the team. The games Alabama plays at home, at Oklahoma, and at Georgia will probably define the 2024 campaign.
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