It's approaching 30 years since the Tennessee Volunteers last won a national championship.
The program has struggled with college football relevance since the Phillip Fulmer era, but things finally seem to be trending in the right direction under the leadership of new head coach Josh Heupel. In three seasons with the program, Heupel has helped lead the Volunteers to a 27-12 record with back-to-back bowl wins.
Now, Tennessee fans are hoping the team can take the next step forward by contending for a national championship, or at the very least a conference title. Here are a few bold predictions about the program that could help them start trending in the right direction towards those goals.
James Pearce Jr. will be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft
Pass rushers are hot commodities in the NFL, and James Pearce Jr. already looks like someone who could be playing on Sundays.
Pearce burst onto the scene in 2023, racking up 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles to earn first-team All-SEC honors. The film showed a well-built player on the edge with outstanding burst and speed off of the snap to bend around the corner and get to opposing quarterbacks.
Tennessee's defensive effectiveness will heavily depend on Pearce's production in 2024. Another strong season should help him skyrocket up draft boards. He already has the third-best odds to be the No. 1 pick in 2025, but that could keep climbing as the 2024 season progresses.
Squirrel White will earn All-SEC honors
The name alone has helped Squirrel White earn some national attention. However, it's his on-field play in 2024 that's going to turn him into a star.
White is already a two-year contributor for the Volunteers. He became a bigger focal point for the offense in 2023, catching 67 passes for 803 yards and two touchdowns. He'll likely have an even bigger jump in production with 5-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava taking over as the starting quarter.
Coming in at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, White isn't going to impress anyone with his size. However, his quick twitch, elusiveness, and ability to create separation should make him such a focal point in Tennessee's offense that the rest of the conference is forced to pay attention.
Tennessee won't make the College Football Playoff
It seems a bit unfair to talk about all these things Tennessee fans should be excited about, only to bring them down with something more negative.
However, the Volunteers schedule is just too brutal for them to realistically find their way into the SEC championship or College Football Playoff this season.
Tennessee will have to play the N.C. State Wolfpack, Oklahoma Sooners, Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Georgia Bulldogs this season.
Even with the expanded 12-team playoff, a three-loss SEC program will have an extremely hard time getting into the tournament. The Volunteers could also have some early-season growing pains with a new quarterback under center trying to get comfortable running Heupel's unique offense.
It might not go great in 2024, but enough flashes from Iamaleava could help put the team in a great position to contend in 2025.
