Tennessee football has sent a lot of players into the NFL since Josh Heupel took over as the Vols' head coach. His up-tempo, veer-and-shoot offense creates mismatches and explosive plays for players throughout the offense.
Once those players reach the NFL, however, they often struggle to break through. That has notably been evident with Hendon Hooker during his time with the Detroit Lions.
It has been a challenge for him to showcase his abilities as he sits behind Jared Goff, but it is clear how little confidence the Lions have in Hooker after they signed retired quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to back up Goff during the Lions' playoff run.
The Lions have since released Hooker after his second preseason with the franchise. His release sparked a discussion about Tennessee's offense's ability to prepare its players for the NFL. The Athletic's Ted Nguyen believes the Vols offense puts its athletes in a "developmental hole" when it comes to translating to the NFL.
That Tennessee offense puts skill players in a developmental hole https://t.co/JWQR82qoDu
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) August 25, 2025
While there are several VFLs in the NFL now, very few are impact players for their team. Hooker, Jalin Hyatt, Princeton Fant, Joe Milton, and Cedric Tillman are a few players that haven't been able to get the pro-style offense figured out.
Dont'e Thornton Jr is the first Heupel-era Vols player to potentially establish himself as a potential key player this season. He has earned a starting role with the Las Vegas Raiders, yet he shared earlier this year how difficult it is for a Vols player to get drafted out of Heupel's system.
"That was mostly every team's main talking point was asking with the offense that we run here at Tennessee if I'm able to run those pro-style routes...I had to be very intentional, playing two seasons here at Tennessee, we don't have the same wide route tree that most pro-style offenses have," Thornton said about getting drafted.
While questions surround the Vols' ability to develop future NFL talent, Thornton could be the first of many under Heupel to break the mold and exceed expectations coming out of Heupel's offense.
An easy fix for those players struggling to get off the ground could be a change of scenery. Hooker could thrive in another organization, just like Hyatt could be given more opportunities if the Giants look to move on from him.
Former Vols skill players have shown the ability to make the big play; they are just struggling to do it consistently, whether that be in practice or on the field.
Hopefully, Thornton, Hyatt, Hooker, and others get the opportunity to showcase their talent and ability to perform in a pro-style offense, ending the conversation about VFLs' ability to become valuable NFL players.