Well, the 2024 season had come up with a big regret for Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers. After all, they finally got close to the Natty, making playoffs for the first time, but that championship dream? Still out of reach. So, this year they aim to make it to the finals with their QB Nico Iamaleava. However, Heupel must have counted on his starting cornerbacks, Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III, as well.

Unfortunately, Gibson II chose to leave Heupel’s hand in the most crucial moment. But as per the latest intel, he is making a U-turn. This has led analysts to warn Heupel about the potential consequences of that comeback. 

Josh Heupel is likely to feel the ripple effect of Rickey Gibson III’s flip

Heupel was already in deep soup when in January it was reported that Jermond McCoy suffered a torn ACL during offseason workouts. So, he will take another six to nine months for his recovery. Now that’s when Heupel must have turned to Gibson. After all, the Alabama native did turn heads in his sophomore season, starting 12 of 13 games, but he planned to ditch the HC soon.

On Feb. 25, On3 Sports reported that Gibson had “plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal this spring.” But as per the latest updates, there is some change in the heart kinda situation. Heupel’s cornerback was reportedly out on the field with the Vols to open up spring camp. On that note, Locked on Vols hosts Eric Cain and Boogie Bentley come up with an in-depth analysis.

Cain started with how Gibson shouldn’t have made his decision public unless he was absolutely sure. “To me it’s pretty black and white. It is what it is. I think it’s going to get resolved but it’s kind of makes you feel uneasy right when you make it a public affair.” Bentley came up with an alternate narrative. To him, Heupel’s cornerback chose to hit the transfer portal because he might have thought that too much burden would be on him now that McCoy is injured. He stated, “What I don’t like is you taking advantage of your misfortune of your teammate, right, that’s what we don’t like.” However, he did not find any fault in Gibson running after money. 

According to him, the problem lies with the system. Bentley is throwing out questions like, “How does Josh Heupel handle this, like how you gonna give Rickey Gibson reps, when he’s gonna walk when the portal opens…how do your teammates feel about that?” Now that Gibson’s thinking about coming back, you know players like Boo Carter and Mike Matthews are gonna have some serious FOMO. “Do they come back for more money?” It’s setting up a domino effect, and regulations are a must. After all, they would now think of leaving Heupel’s ship and diving into the portal in the belief of grabbing better deals like Gibson. Another SEC insider is also warning Heupel about this mess.

A change in Josh Heupel’s attire sparks motivation

Gibson’s to-and-fro action is going to set a bad example in Heupel’s squad. On That SEC Football podcast, host SEC Mike shed light on how the players could misuse this power. “Do other players start doing this?” asked SEC Mike to co-host Cousin Shane. The co-host replied, “I always worry about that. Especially if it does work. Because you just kind of set an example, and the kids are like, ‘Well. If it worked for him, maybe it’ll work for me.’” Amidst the alarming updates, a video has gone viral that is likely to fill the Vols’ fans’ hearts with some happy feels.

Buckle up, folks! Your favorite “backward hat” version of HC Heupel is here. The clip is from the spring practice as he shared his golden advice with the players. One of the best parts of that video is near the end. The HC is found advising the players to learn from “their buddies’ mistakes” and avoid making the same mistake. Does he indirectly hint at Gibson? Maybe, or maybe not.

However, this “backward hat Heupel” by now has created a special place in the fans’ hearts over the past couple of years. After all, every time the Tennessee creative team puts up Josh Heupel’s video donning the backward hat, he always has a little extra juice. As ex-Vols player Chas Nimrod confirmed, “Oh most definitely for sure…he’s just coming with the juice that day, ready to attack the day.” A backward hat might just be Heupel’s secret weapon to shake off all the bad juju in 2025.