Josh Heupel and Nico Iamaleava went to the playoffs only to be knocked out by the dominant Ohio State in the first round. Sure, a 10-2 season finish looks great on paper. But with it came signs that were hard to ignore. These are signs that clearly point out that things are going to be wrong for the Vols going forward. The 2024 season is now done and dusted, but the concerns of 2025 have started coming in. It’s just not one problem; it’s actually in three different departments. Well, let’s get on with it.

Eric Cain of ‘Locked on Vols’ speaking about the problems provided the scenario where their offensive line will have struggles in the 2025 season. “What does the offensive line look like? Gone is Cooper Mays, gone is Javontez Spraggins, gone is John Campbell & Dayne Davis, gone is Andrej Karick. I mean those were pretty much well for those starters, pretty much five with Dayne Davidson there. He was a part-time starter last year, they’re all gone. Lance Heard, who arguably was your worst offensive lineman last year, between him and John Campbell, is your lone return. The question now is, what does this signify?

Well, Eric Cain is actually right in many aspects of his argument. This is because players like Cooper Mays and Andrej Karick were the backbone of the offensive line for the Vols. It was because of Mays that the O-line didn’t have many turnovers over the years he played. But now Cooper Mays has gone to the NFL draft, and Andrej Karic has lost his appeal for eligibility and will be gone. So, this is one department Vols need to work on, and they currently have players who haven’t seen many snaps yet. So, this will actually be a curveball to hit. Then comes the second problem Cain highlighted…

Cain also provided reasons where the receiver department also looks quite inexperienced going into the 2025 season. “Number two on my list is,  who the heck is going to be in that (receiver) group? who the heck is going to lead the charge? Okay it’s got to be Mike Matthews.  Matthews floored with the transfer portal a little bit he’s back he’s got to take a step he’s got all the potential in the world. Does the five-star Chris Brazzell has got to have a year or two like Donte Thornton had? Amari Jefferson, are you on a pitch count? What’s your availability, how much can you do?“. And Cain is also right here, too. Here’s why.

Josh Heupel has signed Amari Jefferson from Alabama, a potential 4-star prospect. He is still a redshirt freshman, and replicating what Dante Thornton did in his first season will be a big ask. Another name that the Vols have in their roster is Chris Brazzell, who will be expected to have a good season with the Vols. As in the previous season, he finished with 333 receiving yards for 29 receptions. But he still will need to raise his performance to provide the Vols what they and Nico Iamaleava need. However, there’s a third problem too…

The third problem is the Vols being also inexperienced in the Corner Back room as highlighted by Eric Cain. They have Rickey Gibson, but there’s still uncertainty if he will stay after his dance with the transfer portal. Jalen McMurray is another name that comes to mind. He will be coming to his senior season. Apart from him, there isn’t much experience in the roster as Jermod McCoy is still battling with his injury and will likely miss the entire offseason. So, the question now is: What does all this mean for Nico IamaIeava and Josh Heupel?

Grim scenario for Nico Iamaleava in the 2025 season?

Well, Josh Heupel isn’t a stranger to these kinds of difficulties and knows how to tackle them. Recently, when 27 players went away, he didn’t shy away from the challenge. He brought 29 players through transfers and recruiting. That is quite impressive in terms of fixing the roof. However, Nico still has a reckoning to face, and here’s why.

ESPN College Football podcast host Greg McElroy provided a scenario where all may not be too green for Nico. “One of the big questions is how much better can they be on offense, and a lot of this hinges on the continued growth and development of Nico Iamaleava…He went through a little bit of a slump where there were a lot of big plays downfield that were missed and that kind of plagued them in the Arkansas game.” Sure, Nico had his problems in the 2024 season, but that doesn’t mean he can’t get past them. For context, hear this.

Nico had signed an $8 million NIL deal with the Vols when he joined in the 2022 season. This made him one of the top earners of his class. In his last season, we saw flashes of brilliance in his plays as he grabbed 2,616 yards at a 63.8 % completion rate. Not quite world-class right? Well, that is correct, but he is still coming to his sophomore season of eligibility. We could see a massive improvement in his plays if the O line and the receiver department supported him enough.