Tennessee fans want better players and different coaches so the Vols can return to the College Football Playoff and avoid another blowout loss in the bracket.
Tennessee (10-3) lost 42-17 to Ohio State in the CFP first round. Fans vented their frustration by calling on coach Josh Heupel to fire assistants and upgrade the roster through the transfer portal.
Time will tell if either request is fulfilled.
And many fans eventually will calm down and celebrate the Vols’ success in 2024. After all, they made the 12-team playoff and reeled off 30 wins in the past three seasons.
But Tennessee fans asked more than 120 questions via our free Vols text group, most of them in anger. So let’s address some of the hottest topics in the Vols mailbag.
It would be outside the norm for him to fire coaches. In seven seasons as a head coach, Heupel has never fired a coordinator or position coach. He values staff stability.
But Heupel adjusted his thinking in new ways this season to win low-scoring games, so he’s open to change, when needed.
On Jan. 31, contracts expire for defensive coordinator Tim Banks, special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler and secondary coach Willie Martinez.
Stepping away from the disappointment of the CFP game, the units of all three of those coaches had good seasons. Banks is a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the top assistant in college football.
Heupel could fire a coach still under contract for 2025. But again, that would be outside the norm.
It’s gotten better each season. The Vols ranked No. 14 in the SEC in pass defense in 2021. They ranked No. 12 in 2022; No. 8 in 2023; No. 4 in 2024.
Granted, pass defense stats rely on different factors: Pass rush, coverage, down and distance, and more. Success and failure shouldn’t be placed solely on one unit, coach or position.
But Martinez’s primary responsibility is coaching cornerbacks and nickelback. Cornerback Jermod McCoy was All-American, and nickelback Boo Carter was an SEC All-Freshman performer this season. By those results, it was Martinez’s best season as a UT assistant.
I don’t think so. Elarbee has one year left on his contract at $900,000 annually.
Elarbee has been with Heupel for nine seasons at three different schools. Heupel trusts him to coach offensive linemen in his style of offense. And despite an offensive downturn in the past two seasons, the results have still been pretty good.
Sure, pass protection was sub-par. But UT once again had a top-10 rushing offense with two All-SEC offensive linemen. And David Sanders, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, signed with UT under the assumption that Elarbee would be his coach.
If Heupel needs reasons to retain Elarbee, he has plenty to choose from. But the 2025 season will be critical for Elarbee. He has developed young linemen who are supposed to be ready to play. If they’re not, that’s on him.
That’s hard to say for anyone not in the coaches’ meetings or on the headset during games.
But it’s certainly not the worst idea. Halzle is a proven quarterbacks coach. Just ask Hendon Hooker. So he brings value to this staff.
But in 2021-22, Heupel, Halzle, offensive coordinator Alex Golesh and other assistants worked well together. That unique combination, and perhaps not any individual coach, yielded record-setting results.
I don’t think Halzle replacing Golesh at offensive coordinator in 2023 is to blame for all UT’s shortcomings. This is still Heupel’s offense, regardless of who holds the title of offensive coordinator. But all tweaks should be considered, and it’s difficult to overlook Halzle’s role in that.
It’s reasonable for the position coach to get some of the blame. But the offensive scheme, play-calling, quarterback play, pass protection and other factors contribute, as well.
But Pope was UT’s wide receivers coach in 2022, when he coached Jalin Hyatt to the Biletnikoff Award and the Vols broke several school records in passing.
Pope didn’t forget how to coach receivers in two years. But the talent at that position has dipped since then.
Yes, of course. Iamaleava struggled early in the SEC schedule but improved steadily. He must take another step forward for this offense to thrive in 2025.
But the Vols have hitched their wagon to Iamaleava. So they must focus on adding players that maximize his talent and shore up his weaknesses.
Be careful what you wish for in your frustration. If Iamaleava entered the portal, every team without a premier starting quarterback would go after him. Many teams would even ditch their proven starter for the chance of tapping into Iamaleava’s talent.
Iamaleava definitely must improve in a number of areas. But the consensus from coaches is that he’s got the goods. He just needs time, development and better pieces around him to succeed.
UT is working to try to provide that support.
That’s one of those things that’s judged differently depending on the outcome.
If UT had beaten Ohio State, shirtless warm-ups would’ve been the moment the Vols showed their toughness. But since UT lost in lopsided fashion, the players looked more like posers.
It was good team camaraderie. And I think some players did it to convince themselves that cold weather wouldn’t be a factor. But it backfired when considering the final score.
Yes, and there are multiple reasons for that.
The position obviously needs an upgrade. UT lacked a dynamic receiver who should concern an opponent.
Plus, UT’s numbers are down at receiver, so it needs to replenish for depth, as well. Four UT receivers entered the portal, and Bru McCoy and Dont’e Thornton exhausted their eligibility. Three receivers were added in the 2025 signing class.
Yes. The head coach should always get a sizable portion of that blame, especially when he’s paid more than $9 million per year.
Players didn’t react well to adversity. Coaches didn’t push the right buttons to change that. And coaches didn’t seem to have an answer schematically to slow down Ohio State.
And per usual, it happened in a road game at night. That’s a problem that Heupel must solve.
But there are always multiple factors leading to the outcome of any game. Injuries to key UT players, especially SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson, had an impact.
Yes. If lower-ranked conference champions weren’t granted automatic first-round byes, UT would’ve played SMU at Neyland Stadium in the first round and then Georgia in the quarterfinal in the Sugar Bowl.
Expect automatic byes to be dropped in the CFP format in the near future. Those conference champions would still make the bracket, but they’d be seeded by their CFP ranking only. That change hasn’t happened yet, but it likely will.
They did. UT had six scholarship wide receivers at the Ohio State game, and they all played a lot.
Thornton and Squirrel White left the game with injuries. McCoy played the whole game. Chris Brazzell played 38 snaps. Freshman Mike Matthews played 28 snaps. Freshman Braylon Staley played a career-high 51 snaps.
You didn’t notice the turnover at wide receiver because they didn’t get open or make many plays to be noticed.
I don’t think so. Recruits don’t dwell on individual games in the same way that fans do.
Sanders presumably got a substantial NIL contract. He has a good relationship with UT coaches. And he could compete immediately to start as a freshman in 2025. None of those things changed with the loss to Ohio State.
Wide receiver is No. 1. Without a playmaker at receiver, this offense is stagnant.
There are good arguments for upgrading at linebacker and safety. Interior offensive line just needs to be replenished because veterans have exhausted their eligibility.
UT already invested quite a bit into upgrading offensive tackle by signing Sanders, the five-star freshman.
Once Iamaleava tucked the ball and ran, it was no longer a defenseless player, per the rule. He was a ball-carrier and treated like a receiver or running back.
The Ohio State defender hit him hard and with the helmet. But the context of the play deemed it a legal hit and not a targeting penalty.
Sampson played through injuries for the second half of the season. He often practiced with a no-contact red jersey to recover before gameday. He played with tremendous toughness.
Sampson’s hamstring was a problem against Ohio State. That’s typical in cold weather when a hamstring is already tender.
The simple answer is that Ohio State’s players are better. Ohio State receivers Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate are future first-round draft picks.
Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly also did a much better job of scheming them open compared to UT. The Buckeyes used motion and misdirection well and isolated receivers in favorable matchups.
But again, almost every matchup would’ve been favorable for the Buckeyes because of their top-flight talent.
It was always too big if competitive first-round games are the goal. In most seasons, there are no more than six legitimate national title contenders. Perhaps in the portal era, that will expand to eight teams.
But if automatic byes are dropped from the CFP format, there will be more competitive first-round games. Hopefully that’ll change for the 2025 playoff.
VOLS ROSTER MOVES:How Tennessee replaces these 10 valuable players for 2025 season
It’s an interesting question.
The game probably plays out a little differently if Bryson Eason doesn’t commit that facemask penalty on a sack on third down on Ohio State’s opening drive.
Ohio State would’ve punted. Its momentum would’ve stalled. And perhaps the Buckeyes don’t jump out to a big lead as quickly.
The tone may have been different. But the result would’ve probably been the same. Ohio State had better players and a better plan, and one drive-killing penalty wasn’t going to change that.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Emailadam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
