Josh Heupel addresses jump Tennessee offense has taken

Tennessee is once again expected to have one of the most up-tempo and dynamic offenses in the country in 2023. Head coach Josh Heupel revealed where his Vols stand entering week three of fall camp in reaching that goal.

“I don’t know if it made a jump. I thought they made some plays. Some of our vets, we did let go in this one,” Heupel said on Wednesday. “They got some early work and then got out in the middle part of the scrimmage. I thought there were some really good things that happened — up front, protection early in the football scrimmage. There are some things just mechanically — how we function and operate — that we’ve got to get better at, too, and it was all positions.”

While Heupel irons out the wrinkles in his offense behind the scenes, on the surface the Vols have one of the most promising offenses in the SEC heading into the 2023 season.

Led by QB1 Joe Milton, the standout quarterback enters the season fresh off helping lead the Vols to pivotal a 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl. He completed 19 of his 28 attempts (67.9 percent) for 251 yards and three touchdowns. The win officially put Tennessee back on the map with an 11-2 season. The victory has now pitted Milton as the new face of the program, and those around the Volunteer program have high hopes for him moving forward.

It helps that he’s surrounded with a deep group of wide receivers this season. Returning wideouts Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton combined for 83 receptions, 1,229 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. Tennessee’s lone transfer and former Oregon Duck, Dont’e Thornton, is also an option many are considering that will provide an instant-impact, and Squirrel White will also factor into the mix.

On the offensive line, Cooper Mays underwent a minor procedure, according to Heupel, and will likely miss the rest of fall camp. He’s Tennessee’s most experienced OL with 31 starts under his belt, and there are other holes that need to be filled as well.

How that will eventually translate to the Vols’ rushing attack remains to be seen, but RBs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small have proved to be a potent one-two duo in the past — and they’re expected to carry the load for Tennessee in 2023 whether they’re down in numbers in the trenches or not.