JD PicKell tabs Tennessee as the SEC's biggest sleeper in 2023

The Tennessee Volunteers are the biggest sleeper in the SEC, according to On3’s J.D. PicKell, so place your bets now.

With Josh Heupel at the helm, there’s no reason to think the Volunteers can’t be an offensive juggernaut once again. Joe Milton is at quarterback and there are other playmakers to go around.

So why disrespect Tennessee like this? PicKell explained on The Hard Count.

“I didn’t want to just pick a dark horse and have it be the team that has like the third best odds,” PicKell said. “So I took a look at what the SEC title odds were. And I was shocked. I mean, I had to take a second. Tennessee has the fifth best odds to win the SEC they’re at plus-1700. Now I understand that Georgia is back to back national champs but to have them behind Bama to have them behind LSU, I understand if they’re behind them, but have them be fifth best? That was surprising to me …

“If you’re a gambling individual, those are great odds for you because Joe Milton, I think outside of the Tennessee bubble is just getting straight up disrespected. Do y’all not see what he did in that game against Clemson? I don’t feel like that’s just a one off. I think that’s a preview to the movie we’re going to get in 2023.” 

PicKell explained Milton has a little more work to do with guys like Jalin Hyatt off to the NFL. But he’s in a great system.

“I know Jalin Hyatt is gone, I know Hendon Hooker’s gone,” PicKell said. “Guess who’s not gone? Josh Heupel, the architect behind that offense that absolutely ran roughshod over college football last year. Joe Milton can deal the rock now. Also, they got some playmakers. Squirrel White is gonna be a dude for then, Bru McCoy is going to be a dude for them. I don’t think Tennessee is going anywhere.”

What it comes down to is defense. If Tennessee and Heupel are going to hit last season’s heights but actually get a little further, that side of the ball has to tighten up.

“The way they could really challenge for an SEC title if that defense, you’ve heard me say this before, that defense just gets a little bit better,” PicKell said. “You don’t got to be lock down. You don’t got to be the ‘85 Bears, but if you can just get a little bit better, Tennessee could make some noise in the SEC. But at fifth best odds, a dark horse by definition, we’ll take it.”