unbelievable: josh heupel regretting why he ever allowed Willie Gault in……..
NFL Draft season is right around the corner. Tennessee has sent a host of players to the professional level under head coach Josh Heupel, and they could have more join those ranks this offseason. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. ranked three former Tennessee Volunteers inside his positional big board.
You can read his full article here on ESPN+. Running back Jaylen Wright was the headliner, checking in as the No. 6 back in this class, according to Kiper. Wright drew a comparison to former Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Ford went over 1,000 all-purpose yards with the Cleveland Browns this season. Wright thrived with the Vols this year, becoming the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since the 2015 season. Quarterback Joe Milton III has all the tools to become a successful player at the next level, but it’s about putting it all together.
NFL scouts are higher on Milton this offseason than last, but he still has some work to do. Kiper ranks Milton as his No. 9 quarterback ahead of the Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, which Milton will participate in. Finally, tight end McCallan Castles checked in as Kiper’s No. 8 fullback/H-back in the class. Castles had a productive lone season on Rocky Top, logging 22 receptions for 283 yards and five touchdowns, catching a score in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Iowa.
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The Tennessee Volunteers have a lot of hopes and dreams for the 2024 college football season. Head coach Josh Heupel and company are entering year two of a three-year plan with redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava – the time is now for a potential run at the College Football Playoff.
However, ESPN’s Greg McElroy thinks the Vols have an uphill battle ahead of them. They have road tasks at Georgia and Oklahoma and also have to face the Alabama Crimson Tide, albeit without legendary head coach Nick Saban. “Can they beat Alabama and Georgia? I don’t think they can, but every other game on their schedule, I think, is very winnable.
I think right now 8-4 is probably most likely, I think 9-3 is well within reach. But at 8-4, I think the percentage chance that they make the 12-team playoff is at about 15%. They get to 9-3, I would say that increases things significantly, but I’m kind of leaning a little bit more towards 8-4 and a little less toward that 9-3 at the moment.” – Greg McElroy on 2024 Tennessee
