Jacob Warren shares key to Josh Heupel's quick turnaround at Tennessee

Expectations are sky high in Knoxville, Tenn., going into the 2023 season under coach Josh Heupel following an 11-win campaign with an Orange Bowl win last season. The turnaround at Tennessee has been fast.

Players seem bought in and ready to roll. Ask them why and the explanation is pretty simple.

“Just the culture,” veteran tight end Jacob Warren said. “I think it’s the culture. That’s kind of a buzzword; I don’t like using that word.

“My friendships on the team, right? How close we are with each other. Just the fact that, man, we love competing with each other. I think when you love that guy next to you, you love the people that are leading you, we love coach Heupel, all of our position coordinators, you’ll go the extra mile to make sure you’ll go out and execute your assignment, right? I think it kind of starts with that.”

Warren opted to return for another season at Tennessee after catching 12 passes for 163 yards as a redshirt senior in 2022.

He’s the perfect example of the kind of dedication and buy-in that have not only allowed Tennessee to have this recent run of success, but also that are a product of that success. Buy-in begets further buy-in when it starts paying off tangibly on the field.

“That’s how we’ve had so much success,” Warren said. “He came in, changed the culture. He made it known that we are loved, accepted, valued and we are really good football players at the same time.”

Warren attributed his own decision to come back for a sixth season with the Volunteers to the very culture he has helped Heupel build, along with other veterans.

There were just too many positive factors to want to leave Knoxville given the turnaround at Tennessee that is already well underway.

“You add all those things, and you have a lot of success,” Warren said. “My decision to stay, my decision to be here, is the same answer. I truly enjoy being around all my friends, all my teammates. This university has given me a lot. I have two degrees from the university now. Just that alone, having education, being able to set myself up for my future, is super big.

“It’s also allowed me to make connections, build up my self-confidence. I talked about earlier, the leader and man I’ve become has definitely been maybe not just because, but this coaching staff and coach Heup has had a lot to do with that.”