It's still May and we're already going to start talking about this? The Tennessee Vols are coming off a trip to the College Football Playoff and the fanbase is all-in on what head man Josh Heupel is building over in Knoxville. The brutal days are over.
Yes, Nico Iamaleava leaving for UCLA is going to hurt for 2025, but the future looks fantastic for the program. Can the same be said for the Oklahoma Sooners, where Heupel was a superstar QB? Coach Brent Venables is on the hot seat and some Sooners supporters want him gone after next season already.
His buyout alone after the 2025 season is just under $35 million. If shocking news comes in that Venables is let go and Oklahoma needs a new coach, would the Sooners make a run at trying to land Heupel? That's what longtime scribe Berry Tramel of the Tulsa World has in mind. On a recent appearance on the Saturday Down South podcast, he indeed said he'd imagine Heupel being the first call if suddenly there's an opening in Norman.
Would Oklahoma reach out to Josh Heupel if the Sooners fire Brent Venables?
"He'd be the first call (if Venables is fired), I assume," Tramel said. "I have no idea if Josh would entertain the notion or accept - I have no idea. I do know he's still got a lot of ties (to Oklahoma). Family still lives here."
Well then. Tramel went on to say he doesn't think Heupel would just dismiss the idea of returning to the Sooners, while he also thinks it would be a popular choice. However, Tramel went on to say multiple times that Tennessee is a pretty great place to coach and he doesn't know if Heupel would want to leave his current, pretty stellar situation.
The breakup between Heupel and Oklahoma has been pretty well noted. He was a former standout for the team, but he was fired in 2014 as the program's offensive coordinator. The Vols and Heupel taking down Oklahoma last season in Norman sure meant the world to him.
Looking ahead to 2025, Heupel is ready for another strong season and then even more great things will be on the way in 2026 with 5-star QB Faizon Brandon on his way to campus. Oklahoma and Venables are hoping for a big year too, though plenty of people are worried another rough campaign is on the horizon. If Venables indeed gets fired, the buzz surrounding Heupel's name is only going to grow. We can only hope this is something Tennessee doesn't have to worry about next offseason.