The 2024 season was all about big hits and misses for Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers. After all, they finally got close to the Natty, making playoffs for the first time. However, the national championship trophy might still haunt Heupel in his goodnight’s sleep. So, it’s obvious the Vols have set their focus on the bull’s eye this season- the Natty. With Heupel steering the ship, expectations are sky-high in Knoxville. In fact, Ari Wasserman of On3 ranked Heupel above big names like Brian Kelly and Lane Kiffin when listing top coaches heading into 2025. But here’s where things get tricky—while the Vols dazzled last season, looking at the current landscape, even making the playoffs again might be a long shot.

Already, for the 2025 season, Heupel has gotten enough of a reality check. Thanks to Billy Napier, Florida landed the No. 1 unsigned player in the country, J’Vari Flowers. With this, the Gators have replaced Tennessee from the No.10 position in the 2025 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. However, Josh Heupel might not have the rankings affect him.

After all, he knew that the real test would be at the gridiron. That’s when he got a grounding alert. The ninth-seeded Volunteers traveled to take on eighth-seeded Ohio State last season. But during the face-off, the Buckeyes, who went away with a 42-17 win, reduced them to mere specks of dust. Heupel must have pumped himself up with his self-talk, ‘Never mind. Will make it happen the next time.’ Will the next chance turn out to be lucky for the Vols? Analysts Andy Staples and Arri Wasserman took this up on the April 3rd episode of the On3 podcast.

First things first, players fell like dominoes out of Tennessee. The Vols lost 18 players to the transfer portal. Some notable ones are running back Cam Seldon, cornerback Jordan Matthews, and quarterback Gaston Moore, among a bunch of others. The analysts came up with a list having two tiers. Tier 1 could win the national title. Tier 2 could make the playoff.

Poll of the day

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Do you believe Josh Heupel's master plan for Nico Iamaleava will finally push Tennessee into Tier 1 status?

Yes, Nico is the key to their success

No, they have too many weaknesses

Maybe, but they need more than just a QB

I don't think Heupel's plan will work

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Very confident, this is the turning point

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About Heupel’s program, Staples said, “I would put them in the second rung. Probably of like really good but aren’t going to win the national title.” When it comes to winning games, the analyst predicted, “Just don’t think they can win four of them.” Now, what’s the factor that helped Staples to jump to this conclusion?

“I have a hard time when a team has a glaring roster weakness.” To which, Wasserman added, “Receiver being the weakness for Tennessee.” Well, it’s true. A drought has hit Heupel’s WR room. Even though the Vols couldn’t lock the doors for Mike Matthews, they lost their star receiver, Squirrel White.

Even though White struggled in the 2024 season, catching just 34 passes for 381 yards, he gifted the Vols with an amazing 2023 season, totaling 803 yards and two touchdowns. They also lost Chas Nimrod, and Kalen Webb among others. Much like Heupel, James Franklin’s Penn State went through the same struggles.

The Nittany Lions lost wide receivers Harrison Wallace III and Omari Evans to the transfer portal. However, Staples remains convinced of their efforts. “I think that Penn State did more in the offseason to address their issues than Tennessee did.”

Franklin has added two transfers, Devonte Ross and Kyron Hudson. But Heupel is yet to fix the loopholes, as he is too busy with his QB.

Josh Heupel’s plan of action to unlock Nico Iamaleava’s full potential  

Heupel had high ambitions for Iamaleava last season. Sadly, it was a BIG FLOP! As RJ Young found out, “Problem with that is defenses have figured out Tennessee football. Defenses have figured out Nico Iamaleava.” However, this season, the scene is no different.

The Vols’ fate depends on the continued growth and development of their QB. Definitely, there have been enough moments that made Heuepel’s chest fill up with pride for his QB. Iamaleava made his third career start. He accounted for 276 yards of total offense and scored three touchdowns. Hence, this led the Vols to victory over NC State. With this, the HC plans to garner young talent.

After all, the signal-caller is yet to reach the Hendon Hookers era where the QB offered 43.5 yards per game. Iamaleava’s last season average was 27.5 yards per game. So, Heupel whipped up a plan for QB, letting him punish the defenses with his legs. J.D. PicKell on the On3 podcast shared some snippets of the master plan.

“Some intel that I got around Nico, though, in terms of how they could use him in 2025—I was told there may be a chance they do a little bit more quarterback design run game with him.” And guess what?

Nico Iamaleava is leaving no stone unturned to make Josh Heupel’s plan a grand hit. The quarterback is hitting the weight room hard. After all, we know how he caught side-eyes because of his lanky frame.

“He got to Tennessee, and he was like a shade under 200… During winter conditioning, you’re supposed to add some weight, so that’s a good sign,” shared PicKell.

Will this be the game-changer that pushes Heupel into Tier 1 territory?