It’s the fault in Josh Heupel’s stars. They could not make their Natty dream come true in 2024, wrapping up the season with a 10-3 record. Just when Heupel was prepping to write a blockbuster story for 2025, his main lead chose to hit the exit doors. The whole Nico Iamaleava hoopla and the Vols coming with a ‘we don’t want to negotiate anymore’ stance must have left Heupel’s squad in choppy waters. While Tennessee fans are yet to wrap their heads around the Iamaleava situation, the head coach tried his luck, pulling out some Benjamins to grab a transfer from the portal. Will that add more to Heupel’s woes? The FOX insider gave a reality check, suggesting that a big SEC call is what Tennessee needs at the moment.

The most controversial quarterback in college football town put up 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. But even then, Tennessee had hit the brakes on Iamaleava. Long story short, the quarterback’s idea of a “maximum possible” paycheck way overshot what Tennessee was willing to pay. Despite having already signed an $8 million NIL deal spanning four years, which would provide him with a little over $2 million annually from Tennessee, he wanted to fatten his bank account this season. So, he and his people were looking for a $4 million per year bump in his NIL earnings. That’s when the Vols thought of moving forward without the quarterback. Right now, Heupel’s squad is not running out of drama. Yes, there is a lot cooking in the Vols’ squad.

On the April 20th episode of The Number One College Football Show podcast, host RJ Young dropped some big news. “Do you think Tennessee is going to succeed in doing what apparently they had done to TCU, Josh Hoover?” Amidst all this Nico drama, fans might have missed the news. As reported, Tennessee has offered the quarterback a $1 million raise to switch to the Vols squad. Hoover is 11–8 as a starter with the Horned Frogs, including a 9-4 mark in 2024 when he threw for 3,949 yards.

Young highlighted, “Texas Christian reported that Josh Hoover was asked to transfer to Tennessee for a deal that would pay him $1 million more than he is making at Texas Christian right now. Josh Hoover is one of the most prolific passers in the sport last year threw for just short of 4,000 yards. Had a tremendous season last year.” But poor Josh Heupel!

The quarterback has turned down the offer, choosing to remain with the Horned Frogs. With Tennessee now in full recruiting mode in the portal, throwing out the ‘Hey, Vols, anyone?’ line, who’s likely on their radar?

According to Young, now that Notre Dame quarterback Steve Angeli has jumped into the portal, the offer can go his way. Will he be able to fill up the big void left by Iamaleava? Well, Young is not very convinced about it. “I think yeah, he could start, but he’s a stopgap. He’s not a generational talent, and he’s certainly not the kind of guy that expect to lead you to a national championship.” So, who does Young think has the caliber to bring the stars for Tennessee?

The potential big savior for Josh Heupel from the SEC

According to the analyst, South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback Air Noland can be the messiah. Earlier, he used to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes and entered the portal during the winter window, where he was a sought-after name. The 6-foot-2 left-handed passer was a four-star recruit, ranked the No. 56 overall prospect of the 2024 recruiting class. Back at Langston Hughes High in Georgia, he did come up with some good stats. For instance, in the 2023 season, he completed 236 of 323 passes for 4,095 yards with 55 touchdowns to four interceptions. So, what does Young think about Noland in Heupel’s puzzle? 

The player who will now step up, “needs to make and keep them going. If they need to go tempo, the go tempo; if warp speed is going to get it done.” The analyst then shared his take: “I think Air Noland gives you that opportunity because the dude’s got a very quick trigger. He is accurate with the b- -l and he has the eligibility you want… He could play another three years for you if it works out.” While we are yet to find out whether Heupel will be lucky enough to find Noland in the portal or not, what about their championship dreams? 

Josh Heupel must have pumped himself up with his self-talk, ‘Never mind. Will make it happen the next time.’ But it turns out that the universe is plotting against the Vols. They have already lost some notable players like running back Cam Seldon, cornerback Jordan Matthews, and quarterback Gaston Moore. In total, 18 players thought of bidding farewell. Given the current circumstances, Andy Staples came up with a two-tier list of programs. Tier 1: Could win the national title. Tier 2: Could make it to the playoffs.

As per the analyst, “I would put them [Vols] in the second rung. Probably of like really good, but aren’t going to win the national title….I have a hard time when a team has a glaring roster weakness.” Let’s see if Heupel is able to cook up a plot twist.