The Tennessee Vols have experienced more success over the last three seasons than almost anyone expected way back in early 2021 when the program hit rock bottom in the wake of the Jeremy Pruitt recruiting scandal.
Tennessee athletic director Danny White's decision to hire Josh Heupel to replace Pruitt turned out to be the best hire the football program has made since Phillip Fulmer (controversially) replaced Johnny Majors in the early 90s.
Heupel has gone 27-12 during his first three seasons on Rocky Top. He's led the program to huge wins against Florida, LSU, Alabama, and Clemson.
The health of the football program at Tennessee is as good as it's been in over two decades.
Heupel, however, isn't taking all of the credit for the program's impressively quick turnaround.
The players, of course, deserve the bulk of the credit. And the fans, according to Heupel, deserve credit, too.
Heupel was asked on Wednesday night at the final Big Orange Caravan stop about the role that fans play in the current landscape of college football.
“One of the greatest things about being here at Tennessee is our fan base," said Heupel. "There’s none better, there’s none bigger in the entire country. And that’s huge because our players feel that energy. They were a huge part of us flipping the culture and what we were doing on the football field. They’re vitally important to our recruiting efforts.”
One thing that's a recurring theme in interviews with top high school recruits when asked about Tennessee is the appreciation for the Vols' fan base.
Tennessee fans have a reputation for being passionate and showing love to players/recruits. That reputation is playing a key role in the Vols' return to relevancy.
The fans matter. And Heupel is making sure that Tennessee's fans know they matter.
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