It was all sweet tea and touchdowns in Knoxville just a minute ago. The Vols finally broke through and got a taste of that playoff pie. Fans were lit, bars were packed, and for a hot second, Tennessee football felt elite again. But blink—and it’s gone. The glow-up turned ghost. They got sent packing by the Buckeyes like it was a casual scrimmage. And now, heading into 2025? The vibes? Man, they’re off. Way off. Trouble’s calling for Josh Heupel as that tough Nico Iamaleava revelation just confirmed what everyone’s been side-eyeing—Tennessee’s scrambling in the transfer portal like a team desperate to patch up the cracks. Now Heupel’s standing in a room full of echoes, trying to quiet the noise with nothing but questions piling up.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—the 42-17 playoff thumping wasn’t even the worst part. That was just the appetizer. The real gut punch came after that when Tennessee’s roster fell apart faster than a dollar-store lawn chair. 25 players hit the exits, either for the league or the portal. That’s not just attrition—that’s evacuation. It looked less like a college program and more like a clearance sale. And at the center of the storm? Nico Iamaleava, a rising star quarterback, left holding the bag.

Here’s where it gets spooky. Nico’s got raw talent: 2,616 yards, 19 tuddies, and five picks with a completion rate of 63.8%. Eight of those touchdowns came against UTEP and Vandy. Stat padding or not, he showed flashes. But with nearly every wideout with a pulse gone, he’s now tossing prayers, not passes. Squirrel White? Gone to Mike Norvell’s Florida State. Cam Seldon? Already gearing up for Virginia Tech. Kaleb Webb? Straight to Maryland. Chas Nimrod? Catching rays at South Florida. Nico’s left throwing to ghosts and walk-ons.

On April 9, Ari Wasserman and Andy Staples didn’t sugarcoat a thing on their show. Andy said, “Nico had some overthrow problems and he had some issues, um, last year… but at the same time, I don’t know that he was working with a full deck of—of elite-level receivers.” Ari followed up, deadpan. “Did they get better this year [at receiver]?” Andy hesitated, then hit ‘em with: “I don’t know… receiver—there’s a young receiver on the team that I think has a chance to be very good [Mike Matthews].” Translation? Yeah, it’s rough.

Look, Nico Iamaleava’s overthrowing issues can be low-key chalked up to a mix of growing pains and situational challenges at Knoxville. As a young freshman slinger, he was still adjusting to the speed of the college game and developing chemistry with his receivers—something that’s tough when you’re not exactly working with a full deck of elite pass-catchers, as Andy Staples pointed out. Route timing, separation, and trust all play a role, and if those aren’t locked in, it messes with a QB’s rhythm.

Not gonna lie, Nico’s got a howitzer for an arm and can see the red zone easily from 50 yards mark-line—sometimes putting too much heat on throws that need finesse—and you get a lot of missed connections. Throw in scheme adjustments and maybe forcing throws downfield before fully reading the play, and it’s no surprise he’s been sailing passes more than he’d like.

Right now, Tennessee’s scholarship wide receiver list looks like a phone book in a ghost town. Only Chris Brazzell II and Braylon Staley are hanging tough. And while those two have potential, they can’t carry the whole show. Brazzell is a sleeper for real—wide-out popped for 711 yards at Tulane before dropping 333 at UT last year. Cody Bellaire from On3 ain’t holding back either, saying, “Chris Brazzell should not only be a breakout player for Tennessee, but he should be leading the team in targets.” He might have to lead the team in everything at this point.

Then there’s Mike Matthews. On paper? Seven catches, 90 yards. But in spring ball? He’s been balling. Still, it’s a whole lot of pressure for two cats who’ve never led the charge. Look, they did bring some cats at the offense, new faces like Amari Jefferson from Alabama and RB Star Thomas from Duke have arrived, plus some linemen—Wendell Moe Jr. and Sam Pendleton—but that ain’t exactly a dream team. That’s more like a patchwork quilt. This ain’t Marvel—Heupel can’t just assemble an All-Star crew overnight.

This brings us to the big question: Can Josh Heupel cook with these ingredients, or is he just boiling water? Because right now, his pantry’s looking bare. And with the portal swinging open on April 16, he might be raiding the fridge like it’s 2 AM after a breakup.

Josh Heupel’s take on wide-out for the 2025 season

Josh Heupel sees what’s going on. With only 6 scholarship receivers suiting up this spring—and some of them already banged up—Heupel’s offense is skating on thin ice. During a recent presser, he kept it chill but didn’t hide the fact that they’re looking. “We had some guys that departed through the transfer portal. It’s hard to keep everybody happy at that position,” Heupel said. Translation: They left ’cause they weren’t eating.

He’s trying to sell confidence. “I love the group that we’ve got,” he said. But love only goes so far when you’ve got empty seats in the WR room. He admitted they’ll “certainly” reevaluate once spring ball wraps. That’s coach-speak for: ‘We’re absolutely diving into that portal’. The Vols might love their core, but depth ain’t just a luxury—it’s survival. Nico can’t thrive if he’s out there throwing into double coverage every snap.

Adding to the desperation? Freshman Joakim Dodson’s low-key expected this summer, but he’s raw. Meanwhile, Boo Carter—a DB—is even taking WR reps in spring. That’s where we are. Heupel’s literally flipping dudes over to offense just to have enough bodies. If that doesn’t scream desperation, we don’t know what does. Portal shopping ain’t optional—it’s mandatory. Tennessee ain’t reloading, they’re duct-taping.

Bottom line? The Vols are teetering. Nico Iamaleava’s still got the juice, but his supporting cast looks like it came out of a rebuild mode in NCAA 14. And Josh Heupel? He’s on the clock. Portal moves will make or break this season. What if Nico flames out behind a makeshift O and a skeleton WR crew? That playoff trip won’t be the start of something—it’ll be a one-hit wonder.