Tennessee football’s five biggest spring practice storylines for 2022

Spring practice is underway for Tennessee football entering Josh Heupel’s second season on the job. On the heels of a 7-6 campaign, the Vols will now prepare for 2022, which could be set up for amazing success on Rocky Top given the returning talent, the overall morale of the program and the nature of the schedule.

It all starts now. As with every spring, there are questions heading into it based on what has happened in the offseason so far. Even with the excitement surrounding UT and its potential going forward, Heupel’s program isn’t exempt from those questions.

These aren’t the same questions that will apply when the preseason hits, as they are things that could potentially be answered during these practices. Let’s break down exactly what’s standing out in Big Orange Country right now. Here is a look at the five biggest Tennessee football surrounding spring practice for 2022.

5. Will no official spring game have an impact?

We know the Vols aren’t going to have any official Orange and White game this year. They’ll still have a scrimmage to close out spring ball, and they’ll have a big fan-centered weekend from April 7-10. However, that final scrimmage won’t be open to the public. Honestly, that could be a bigger deal than it seems.

Although it seems like a small thing, seeing how certain players perform early on under the lights can be an indicator of how they’ll perform once the season begins. Last year, Jabari Small and Velus Jones Jr. were among the top spring game performers. They went on to be elite weapons during the regular season.

Can Heupel still get the same information he needs surrounding Tennessee football players without a spring game? This isn’t really a question that could be answered until the season kicks off, but it’s relevant to spring ball, so it had to make this list.