Josh Heupel and the University of Tennessee's potential struggles for 2021

The University of Tennessee is looking to turn its football fortunes around. This offseason they brought in former UCF head coach Josh Heupel. Just one year after UCF’s self-proclaimed national championship in 2017, Heupel took over and led the team to another near-perfect record. Heupel finished his coaching career with the Knights with a 28-8 record. His first season at Tennessee is setting up to be a challenging one, according to ESPN. Here’s what ESPN thinks their biggest struggles will be next season.

Tennessee’s struggles

According to ESPN, over the past three seasons, the Volunteers failed to put together a high-caliber offense. Last year they were ranked 108th in scoring offense. And in those three years, they never finished ranked better than 97th. However, under Heupel last year the Knights finished 100 spots better, ranking eighth in the country. Needless to say, Tennessee could definitely benefit from their new head coaches’ up-tempo offensive approach.

There are a few drawbacks to having an up-tempo offense. The biggest ones being the time of possession and how many snaps your defense plays. After seeing several of its most productive and talented players on defense leave, Tennessee’s defense could have the biggest struggles next year. The biggest loss might be the transfer of top linebacker Henry To’o. Not only did To’o transfer in the offseason, but he also transferred to a powerhouse rival in the University of Alabama.

Off the field issues

With all the potential struggles for the Volunteers on the field, it’s the off-the-field issues that looked to cause the most problems.

“The other hurdle for Heupel is navigating the NCAA shadow hanging over the program and how severe the sanctions could be once the investigation is complete,” wrote Low of ESPN.

Tennessee is currently waiting for the NCAAs ruling on their ongoing investigation. The investigation claims that players were given improper benefits by the school. This investigation is what ultimately led to the firing of then-head coach Jeremy Pruitt. The NCAA likes to throw the book at violators. Handing out such penalties as vacating wins and multi-year postseason bans. These potential NCAA sanctions might be the reason behind the mass exodus of players this offseason. Currently, there is not a timetable for when the NCAA will conclude its deliberation on the University of Tennessee’s football program.

(Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

• Josh Heupel provides update on Tennessee’s starting quarterback battle
• The new coaches: Who has the toughest job – and the easiest?
• ESPN’s FPI rankings predict every Tennessee football game this season
• Inside Addison Nichols commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers
• Phil Steele’s Tennessee forecast keeps expectations low