Under head coach Josh Heupel, the Tennessee football team is known for its explosive offense, and what comes with that is wide receivers who are aggressive at the point of attack when going downfield for jump balls. Tennessee is no stranger to offensive pass interference calls, as we've seen some of these over the years stall out drives for the falls.
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With that said, there’s a potential new NCAA rule regarding offensive pass interference that Tennessee fans, and Josh Heupel, should absolutely love. The rules committee is meeting to discuss whether the offensive pass interference rule should be moved from 15 yards to 10 yards.
How a new offensive pass interference rule could benefit the Vols
With offensive pass interference potentially reduced to just a 10-yard penalty, it incentivizes offenses to take more deep shots. Wide receivers and tight ends can also afford to be more aggressive when attacking the football, knowing the risk isn’t as costly as it once was.
Where Tennessee has the edge is the fact that they already love to do this, and they have an offense built on deep shots and explosive plays. Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews, TK Keys, Ethan Davis, and the rest of Tennessee's pass catchers would love this new rule. Josh Heupel will surely adjust his play calling, too, to take advantage of this, as it is much less penal if a wide receiver takes a flag.
Now, Tennessee just needs to find a reliable quarterback to get these wideouts the ball. Tennessee has a great group of wideouts and tight ends returning, and DeSean Bishop is a top running back in the country, but the quarterback remains in question. It will either be redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or true freshman Faizon Brandon.