Do you smell that in the air? Yup, it's football season. In the blink of an eye, the offseason is just about over, with the Tennessee football team set to take the practice field this week for the start of fall camp. Before you know it, Week 1 vs. Syracuse will be here too.
After leading Tennessee to a 10-win season and a trip to the College Football Playoff for the first time in 2024, what will Josh Heupel accomplish in '25? We can't wait to find out. With that said, there are still plenty of unknowns for the Vols this summer. We take a look at the main ones people have on their minds in this piece:
4. Will Boo Carter remain with the team moving forward?
Let's just get this one out of the way to start. All eyes are on Boo Carter this week. Last week, rumors and reports arrived saying that Carter is on the outs with his teammates and it's up in the air if he'll stick around for Week 1 or not. Him already being linked to Colorado also worried plenty of UT supporters.
Heupel is expected to address things during his pre-camp presser. Losing Carter would be a massive blow for this team on both sides of the ball. However, if he indeed skipped team workouts and veteran leaders aren't happy with his behavior, then the program moving on could be in the cards.
3. Will Joey Aguilar win the starting quarterback job or not?
Who's going to lead the offense out onto the field against Syracuse? There's a three-man battle for the QB1 job, with Joey Aguilar, Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre in the hunt. Aguilar has two years of starting experience to his name, which is why we're giving him a bit of an upperhand going up against the two youngsters.
However, Heupel is going to give both MacIntyre and Merklinger a fair shot to compete. Nothing is a lock here. Aguilar is our overwhelming favorite to be the starter, but crazier things have happened. We can't be shocked if Merklinger or MacIntyre unseat him.
2. When will All-American CB Jermod McCoy get back on the field?
Perhaps one of the biggest unknowns for this team is when preseason All-American Jermod McCoy will get back on the field for the Vols. McCoy is still working his way back from a torn ACL he suffered while training back home in Texas this past winter.
During SEC Media Days, Heupel said that McCoy is looking great, but there's no set timeline for when he'll suit up. From our chair, there's no reason to rush him back and sitting him for the first two games of the campaign could be a smart move. No one knows if that will happen or not. Let's hope Heupel provides an update on his status early on in camp.
1. Who will take over the ground game for Dylan Sampson?
Replacing a player of Dylan Sampson's caliber is virtually impossible. Sampson, now in the hunt to be the starter for the Cleveland Browns, put up historic numbers. Despite that, DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis are back in Knoxville and they're both ready to make noise at camp.
The exact same can be said for Duke transfer Star Thomas. It's easy to forget that he signed with the program back when the portal was still open. Last year, the bruising back rushed for 871 yards and seven touchdowns for the Blue Devils. The 6-0, 210-pounder is now in the SEC and the potential is there for him to be a game-changer for the Vols moving forward.