With Tennessee having a big year ahead, many fans are anxiously waiting to see what the team looks like this fall. After 2025, Josh Heupel retooled the defense by adding Jim Knowles, and despite missing out on Sam Leavitt in the portal, the Vols have two young quarterbacks competing for the job, both with very high ceilings.
Athlon totally disrespects DeSean Bishop and Tennessee's RB room with unit ranking
In some ways, it is a retooling year. With Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre competing for the job, and Jim Knowles installing a new defensive system, there could be some growing pains. Combined with a tough SEC schedule, the Vols could drop some games unexpectedly.
Given this, some people think that Tennessee must have had a big year for Josh Heupel to survive the hot season. On 99.1, Bob Hodge and John Pennington joined the Tyler and Will show saying, “Josh Heupel’s ceiling is higher than most people think, but if he wins 7 games this year, it’ll be tough to keep him.”
“Josh Heupel’s ceiling is higher than most people think, but if he wins 7 games this year, it’ll be tough to keep him.”
— 99.1 THE Sports Animal (@SportsAnimal991) June 15, 2026
Bob Hodge and John Pennington of @SportsSourceTV join @TylerandWill991 to talk Tennessee football’s expectations, Brendan Sorsby, and more⬇️
Link in comments! pic.twitter.com/6oxc0aSuQD
Do people really think Josh Heupel should be on the hot seat?
That feels like a major overreaction. Seven wins would be disappointing, but it’s hard to justify a hot-seat conversation for Heupel based on that alone. Tennessee should not be thinking about moving on from Heupel unless things completely fall off the rails, which is a very different situation. People seem to have forgotten how bad the previous ten years were before Heupel arrived in Knoxville.
Last year, Tennessee was thrown a curveball when Nico decided to leave at the last minute, but Heupel made the most of it. The Vols were a few missed kicks away from winning ten games, including a win over SEC champion Georgia. Heupel made the necessary moves to address last year’s weaknesses. Tennessee brought in some Anthony Poindexter, Derek Joens, and Andrew Jackson, all of whom are familiar with the Knowles scheme. Plus, the Vols added a new reliable kicker. Heupel isn't just sticking with the status quo. He made real changes.
To be honest, the long-term outlook for the program looks as good as ever. In 2026, Tennessee had its best recruiting class since Heupel arrived with three five-stars and a plethora of four-stars. The trajectory looks as strong as ever, but people may be quick to move on if they have just a marginal season. I don't like that.
No matter what happens this fall, if Tennessee finds its future at quarterback, I’m okay with that. Then it comes down to having a big offseason, putting the pieces around him, and making a title push in 2027.
It’s a rebuild year for Tennessee, whether people like it or not. If Heupel has three straight mediocre years, then it may be time for the tough conversations, but I don’t think the fanbase is giving him enough credit for what he has already done.
This year won’t define Heupel, but it will shape how the next two look.
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