The Tennessee Vols have been on an upward trajectory since the day Josh Heupel took over as the program's head coach in early 2021.
Tennessee was at rock bottom when Heupel took over for Jeremy Pruitt after the 2020 season. And Heupel quickly brought excitement to Rocky Top, delivering a seven-win season in year one and an exciting 11-win season in year two.
The program went through a transition season in year three, going 9-4 with Joe Milton at quarterback in 2023.
Thanks to a roster that's loaded with a mix of young talent and experienced upperclassmen, the Vols are poised to make a run at their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024.
Tennessee is finding success on the field and on the recruiting trail. And the culture is as strong as it's been since Phillip Fulmer was roaming the sidelines in the late 90s/early 2000s. Life is good in East Tennessee.
There's just one thing that could potentially slow down Tennessee's momentum under Heupel. And while it's not a dire concern, it's something that could potentially become an issue down the road.
The one criticism of Heupel that's been constant since his arrival in Knoxville three years ago is his offense and whether or not it translates to the NFL.
Heupel's unique up-tempo spread offense puts players in position to win one-on-one matchups. The tempo makes it hard for defenses to communicate and line up correctly. And the wide splits spread the defense out, creating light boxes that make it easier to find success in the running game.
There's no doubt that Heupel's offense is different than what you see on Sundays in the NFL. But that doesn't mean that the players that play in Heupel's offense can't be great pro players. After all, talent is talent. If a player is an NFL-caliber player, then that player is going to get a chance at the next level.
NFL teams are "skeptical" of the Tennessee Vols' offense under Josh Heupel
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler noted earlier this month that NFL teams are skeptical of Tennessee's offense under Heupel. That's likely a main reason why running back Jaylen Wright wasn't selected during the first two days of the 2024 NFL Draft despite being a favorite of various draft analysts (such as Mel Kiper Jr).
"Teams are skeptical of Tennessee's college-friendly Air Raid system that coaches and scouts say allows quarterbacks to read half the field on on-read plays while stationary, which isn't life in the NFL," wrote Fowler recently.
Other analysts, such as longtime draft analyst Josh Norris, have called Heupel's system a "mickey mouse offense".
If this narrative continues, and if players from Tennessee continue to fall in the draft further than they should (like when former Vols wide receiver Jalin Hyatt fell to the third round in 2023 despite winning the Biletnikoff Award just months before the draft), then it's going to become a major weapon that rival programs use against Tennessee on the recruiting trail.
"Don't go to Tennessee, you'll get drafted way lower than you should" -- that's a statement that opposing coaches are probably already telling recruits.
The only way to kill that narrative is for a couple of former Tennessee players to thrive in the NFL after leaving Heupel's offense.
But unfortunately for Heupel and the Vols, that hasn't been the case yet.
Now, to be fair, it's a small sample size of players that have played under Heupel at Tennessee and have reached the NFL.
But the players that have reached the NFL after playing for Heupel at Tennessee haven't done much to disprove the notion that UT's offense doesn't prepare players for the NFL.
Former Tennessee wide receiver Velus Jones Jr, for example, was a third round pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jones has 11 receptions for 127 yards and a touchdown, as well as 17 carries for 154 yards and a touchdown, through his first two seasons in the NFL (he's played in 26 total games). Jones also returns kicks for the Bears, but he's had some major issues with fumbles through his first two seasons in the NFL, which has caused some folks in Chicago to lose faith in the former Vol.
Former Vols wide receiver Cedric Tillman was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. As a rookie last season, Tillman caught 21 passes for 224 yards. Modest production for a rookie, but not enough to help destroy the narrative about Tennessee's offense.
The same goes for Hyatt, who caught 23 passes for 373 yards as a rookie for the New York Giants last season. Hyatt was in a tough situation in New York (the Giants used three different quarterbacks in 2023 and had some rough offensive line play), but the detractors of Tennessee's offense are only going to focus on the lackluster numbers.
Former Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker, a third round selection by the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Draft, hasn't had a chance yet to prove that he can be a productive NFL quarterback. And with the Lions seemingly committed to starting quarterback Jared Goff, there's no telling when Hooker will get a chance to play significant snaps in Detroit.
Tennessee needs a couple of former Vols to thrive in the NFL to finally put this narrative to rest. Otherwise, it's going to become a major obstacle that the Vols have to overcome on the recruiting trail.
Right now, it's the only thing that I can see slowing down Tennessee's momentum under Heupel. And the longer it takes a former Heupel-coached Vol to break through in the NFL, the stronger this narrative will get.
That's why Vols fans should be hoping that Hyatt has a breakout season in 2024 or that Hooker finally gets a chance to shine in Detroit. If not, the outside noise about Heupel's offense is only going to grow louder.
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