JD PicKell: Tennessee primed to take next step toward CFP field in 2023

The 2022 season brought Tennessee all the way back thanks to an 11-2 record and an Orange Bowl victory. But now, with Hendon Hooker off to the NFL, the question is how the Volunteers can take the next step as Josh Heupel continues to build the program.

On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks Tennessee is primed to put itself in the thick of the College Football Playoff conversation in 2023.

Now that Hooker is heading to the NFL Draft, the Volunteers’ quarterback room includes Joe Milton and five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava. Milton appears to be the favorite to start at QB this year, and PicKell said he — along with the defense — will be key to keeping Tennessee in the CFP discussion.

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“I think for Tennessee to take the next step, there’s a couple things that I’m looking at here,” PicKell said on The Hard Count this week. “One, Joe Milton. Joe Milton has to be a version of what we saw in the Orange Bowl. If Joe Milton can be Orange Bowl Joe and be consistent with his decision-making and be accurate and prove that’s who he is now and the defense can get 5 percent better.

“Notice, I didn’t say the defense has to be the No. 1 defense in the country and they have to be locked in on the back end. If they can get 5 percent better and be a little bit more shored up on the back end because they allowed 287 yards a game passing last year. That’s not great. If they can get a little bit better and allow this offense some time to grow, I feel pretty good about their chances.”

JD PicKell: Tennessee can make strong CFP case by splitting games against Georgia, Alabama

There are two important games on Tennessee’s schedule next year: at Alabama Oct. 21 and a home game vs. Georgia Nov. 18. A win in either of those games would be a huge boost to the Volunteers’ CFP resume — and PicKell said a split is all they’d need to take the next step.

“The big next step, the big games that you watch are Georgia and Alabama,” PicKell said. “If you can split those, I feel pretty good about those chances because a one-loss Tennessee and that one loss is to Georgia or Alabama, it’s not a bad loss to have. As the verbiage goes and we hate saying this, but it’s a ‘good loss.’ Those are up for one of the best losses in the country. Had that been the case this year, that would have been enough. Now, you would like to still win the SEC, you’d love to go undefeated.

“But to me, I think that’s the path for you. Joe Milton be consistent, defense improves just a little bit — especially in the secondary — split Georgia [and] Alabama. That, to me, would qualify me for them for the next step and put them very squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation.”