Tennessee feels like a team on the rise. The Vols finished the 2021 season with a 7-6 record in their first year under Josh Heupel. The Music City Bowl loss to Purdue was baffling, but Heupel has recruited well and it is an exciting time in Knoxville.
By Steve Wright
Here are the three keys for the Vols in 2022:
Find a second option at wide receiver
The Vols’ dynamic passing game in 2021 was focused on players. Cedric Tillman was the main man as he went for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns on 64 receptions. They were all team-high marks, but one of the reasons Tillman was able to do so much damage was because of the work of Velus Jones Jr. Jones has moved on and is now in the NFL. He caught over 800 yards and seven touchdowns on 62 grabs. He made the gritty, tough catches allowing Tillman to take the top off of a defense. Someone will have to fill this role or Tillman’s numbers will fall off.
The pass defense has to be better
Teams knew coming in they could pass on Tennessee. Part of that is a byproduct of the offensive system. Tennessee plays with so much tempo that the other team gets extra possessions too. Even so, 122nd in the country in passing yards allowed won’t get it done. Alontae Taylor and Theo Jackson are now in the NFL, so new players will have to step up at the No. 1 corner and safety spots. Even a modest improvement here will make Tennessee more dangerous against the best in the SEC.
Hendon Hooker is Heisman level good
The biggest key to the Vols’ season will be the play of Hendon Hooker at quarterback. Hooker came out of nowhere in 2021 – he wasn’t even the opening day starter – to take over games. His dual-threat ability is perfect for Heupel’s speed and tempo. The issue is that teams have tape on Hooker now. Scoring 36 total touchdowns to only three picks will be impossibly difficult to replicate, but if Hooker is Heisman good – he is in the conversation preseason – then the Vols will push on to a big season.
The Tennessee Volunteers open their 2022 season on Thursday, September 1 in Knoxville hosting Ball State.
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