This is the most talented team we've had since 2016...

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

All the stars have to aline. 2025 we will be replacing at least 3 offensive lineman, our best 2 starters on the D line, and several key contributors. We need to do this now

I agree to an extent but that’s college every single year we will lose guys that were major contributors the year before… we will now be replacing those guys with highly athletic guys who have been well developed up to that point… I think we can be a perennial playoff and championship caliber team the way Heup recruits and actually develops players.

 

[Eastknox865]

I agree to an extent but that’s college every single year we will lose guys that were major contributors the year before… we will now be replacing those guys with highly athletic guys who have been well developed up to that point… I think we can be a perennial playoff and championship caliber team the way Heup recruits and actually develops players.

Hoping next year is no different than Hoping this year

 

[swampfoxfan]

I agree with the OP but that doesn't necessarily mean that it translates directly into more wins. We are still thin in some places and a lot riding on Nico. Man, the expectations from some for Nico are just crazy.

Trending in the right direction for sure but still some questions to be answered.

Football season can't get here fast enough.

I understand what your Niko concerns are, Tennessee fans have become a bit gun shy. But so many in the know types such as Josh Pate believe Coach Heupel when he talks of Niko being the real deal. I hope it's not one of the to good to be true deals.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

All the stars have to aline. 2025 we will be replacing at least 3 offensive lineman, our best 2 starters on the D line, and several key contributors. We need to do this now

Agreed we should do it this year. However, our most talented players are first and second year guys. So even if we lose James Pearce after this year, I think Jordan Ross and Caleb Herring might be just as talented as him so we could have zero drop off next year.

I really think we're built to be dominant the next two seasons given the depth of our young talent.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Going back and looking at the 2016 roster makes me a little sick. Butch wasted a lot of talent. I do think this team has more front line talent and depth almost everywhere.

This team should go 11-1 regular season. 10-2 is acceptable, but 9-3 is a disappointment.
Tennessee should not lose in Neyland for the next 5+years.

I'm gonna wait until I see this team in action week 1 before I make a final declaration but I do agree with you that this team might be more talented across the board than the 2016 team. We are 100% more talented across the offensive line this year than in 2016. Same could be said for the defensive line and wide receiver position. The secondary and linebacker positions look close. The only position group in which I see us not being better than 2016 is at RB. I don't think there's any way our current group matches up to the 3-headed monster that was Kamara, Hurd, and Kelly. Nico has the potential but he's gotta prove he's better than Dobbs as well.

But all in all you're right about the 2024 roster being potentially way better overall than 2016.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Not to mention you’re a fair weather fan saying it yourself you only root for us when we are good.

No. I root for us always. I just play closer attention when we have TALENT. Like most people by the way. When a program is down and losing there is always gonna be less fan interest than when the program is winning and thriving. Does that mean the people are not fans or are they just waiting for a winner? Excuse me for not being around here cheerleading as Jeremy Pruitt was running the program into the ground.

 

[WoodsmanVol]

I was just looking at the roster the other day and was amazed at how much talent Huepel has been able to recruit the last 2 years. This team is stacked with talent at just about every position. Especially along the defensive line. Now most of the talent is young. Which means that 2025 might be the more likely breakthrough season but man am I excited for this season.

I think we could be the best team in the country if all the young guys can live up to their potential.

Dobbie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're back! That said, we may be as talented as the 2016 Heartbreak Kids. They were exciting to watch, win, lose, or draw. I fear, we share the same issues as that team. We are a bit thin in terms of depth. Despite what Joshie recently claimed, we still are. This is the SEC, You get knocked around, and banged up. Beyond second string (even first string for some positions), I question our ability to hang with the big boys, especially later in the season. I say this despite what the dog and crystal ball told me. And despite some, perhaps, unorthodox takes I have. Like my belief that Keith,like a dormant volcano, is going to rumble awake and cause damage to opponents. Like Brazzell is going to end up being Jalen Hyatt 2.0. Like Elijah Simmons, knowing this is his last year and last chance is going to Page OL-men that their pancakes are ready. Beyond that, I just hope Nathan and the Crystal Meth Ball are right.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

Our present team is better everywhere, except QB (may soon be much better now), RB, and Derrick Barnett, and better coached everywhere.

I agree that this could be the case. I will say I don't think we have a DB on this team as good as Cam Sutton and potentially no linebacker as good as Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Those guys were absolute studs. But I will say that we have 3 pass rushers potentially better than Barnett on this roster. James Pearce is clearly better and I think Jordan Ross and Caleb Herring have the potential to be just as good as Pearce.

The only position group where we have no chance to be as good at is RB. Hurd, Kamara, and Kelly was an all-time great RB room. We might have never thrown the ball in 2016 if those guys had this year's offensive line blocking for them.

 

[Dobbs 4 Heisman]

There is no more “ next year should be our year “ or the next year etc.,etc.
The transfer portal and NIL changed that logic forever.

I'm thinking more back to back national titles than giving up on this season in hope of something better next year. I simply made the point about 2025 because so much of our talent are true sophomores and true freshman. If we are great this year then it'll be because of them and because they'll be back in 2025 it means we should be even better next year.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

No. I root for us always. I just play closer attention when we have TALENT. Like most people by the way. When a program is down and losing there is always gonna be less fan interest than when the program is winning and thriving. Does that mean the people are not fans or are they just waiting for a winner? Excuse me for not being around here cheerleading as Jeremy Pruitt was running the program into the ground.

Yeah, it makes you a fair weather fan.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I agree that this could be the case. I will say I don't think we have a DB on this team as good as Cam Sutton and potentially no linebacker as good as Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Those guys were absolute studs. But I will say that we have 3 pass rushers potentially better than Barnett on this roster. James Pearce is clearly better and I think Jordan Ross and Caleb Herring have the potential to be just as good as Pearce.

The only position group where we have no chance to be as good at is RB. Hurd, Kamara, and Kelly was an all-time great RB room. We might have never thrown the ball in 2016 if those guys had this year's offensive line blocking for them.

We've had better RB rooms on many teams

 

[Rocky Top T]

I was just looking at the roster the other day and was amazed at how much talent Huepel has been able to recruit the last 2 years. This team is stacked with talent at just about every position. Especially along the defensive line. Now most of the talent is young. Which means that 2025 might be the more likely breakthrough season but man am I excited for this season.

I think we could be the best team in the country if all the young guys can live up to their potential.

We will not be the best team in the SEC, much less the country

 

[KnoxToTheBoro93]

I'm gonna wait until I see this team in action week 1 before I make a final declaration but I do agree with you that this team might be more talented across the board than the 2016 team. We are 100% more talented across the offensive line this year than in 2016. Same could be said for the defensive line and wide receiver position. The secondary and linebacker positions look close. The only position group in which I see us not being better than 2016 is at RB. I don't think there's any way our current group matches up to the 3-headed monster that was Kamara, Hurd, and Kelly. Nico has the potential but he's gotta prove he's better than Dobbs as well.

But all in all you're right about the 2024 roster being potentially way better overall than 2016.

Rb room could be used how it was supposed to in 2016 with Sampson being Kamara like in number 6 to match but the lead back and a bigger back cam seldon used at second… the injury to Seldon may hurt that but I think Sampson is about to explode much like AK would have as the lead back.

 

[hndog609]

If Nico is close to what we hope we'll score points. That means teams will have to score points also. Those with the means may try to grind it out and limit our offensive opportunities. If they do need to play catch up we've all spent years being driven crazy by our defensive backfield not having any consistency. Our d-line can help but we'll still need DB's that play well against good teams.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

That 2016 team was undersized at many positions and that led to injuries. The DLine was weak. Butch could never field 2 full size DTs, and a lot of talented DE's got mauled playing in the middle. It was just as bad as Dooley not recruiting enough SEC caliber Olinemen. Butch was recruiting players that would have been Hall of Fame players at Cincy, but got manhandled and hurt in the SEC. Strength and Conditioning appeared to more about something besides strength.

Our present team is better everywhere, except QB (may soon be much better now), RB, and Derrick Barnett, and better coached everywhere.

Nico is better than Dobbs

 

[Volfan1000]

I was just looking at the roster the other day and was amazed at how much talent Huepel has been able to recruit the last 2 years. This team is stacked with talent at just about every position. Especially along the defensive line. Now most of the talent is young. Which means that 2025 might be the more likely breakthrough season but man am I excited for this season.

I think we could be the best team in the country if all the young guys can live up to their potential.

We have a much better coaching staff now than we did in 2016.

 

[Volfan1000]

Nico is better than Dobbs

That remains to be seen longterm.

Dobbs saved CBJ's ass on more than one occasion during his career.

 

[VOLLeeann]

Dobbie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You're back!

 

[Volador]

The key here is "ON PAPER"

Remember years ago that two SF Giants broadcaster were talking about their team early on in a season and one of the commentators quips that "this is the best team we have had on paper in years". The other commentator retorts with "well, then why don't we buy a whole bunch of paper and line the field with it".

 

[Raebo]

We have the ”potential“ to be in the mix for a special season but I will wait 2-3 games to see if that potential transforms into performance.

 

[RockyTopTexas]

We don’t have a secondary… until we have a secondary and a good secondary none of this matters

 

[swampfoxfan]

We don’t have a secondary… until we have a secondary and a good secondary none of this matters

We do have a secondary, time will tell if it is good

 

[swampfoxfan]

We will not be the best team in the SEC, much less the country

Stop it with the sunshine pumping

 

[bpalmer28]

It’s entirely possible that we have the best, QB, RB, EDGE, C, OT in the SEC and we’ve got some WRs and LBs who could put themselves into the conversation with breakout seasons.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I'm gonna wait until I see this team in action week 1 before I make a final declaration but I do agree with you that this team might be more talented across the board than the 2016 team. We are 100% more talented across the offensive line this year than in 2016. Same could be said for the defensive line and wide receiver position. The secondary and linebacker positions look close. The only position group in which I see us not being better than 2016 is at RB. I don't think there's any way our current group matches up to the 3-headed monster that was Kamara, Hurd, and Kelly. Nico has the potential but he's gotta prove he's better than Dobbs as well.

But all in all you're right about the 2024 roster being potentially way better overall than 2016.

Probably a good idea considering week 1 in 2016 should’ve been an L to App State. We never seemed focused at all for 4 quarters all season. The 2015 was a better “team” despite having less experienced talent. This squad has a better coach and we have a better identity. I never go into a week thinking we will be outcoached like I once did.