Josh Heupel discusses Vols’ standard ‘to win championships’

Josh Heupel discusses Tennessee’s standard to win championships ahead of the 2023 season.

Tennessee will kick off its third season under head coach Josh Heupel on Sept. 2 versus Virginia. The Vols will open fall training camp on Aug. 2.

Heupel has guided Tennessee to a 18-8 (10-6 SEC) record since 2021.

He was asked about Tennessee’s goals as head coach at SEC media days.

“Standard at Tennessee is to win championships,” Heupel said. “It’s pretty clear. I think we are top 10 in the history of college football in wins, first-round draft picks, bowls, bowl wins. The standard is to compete at the highest level and win championships.

“For us, that starts in the Eastern division, which everybody knows that there’s a lot of good football that’s played in that division.”

Kickoff between the Vols and Virginia is slated for noon EDT (ABC) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The Vols will open Southeastern Conference play Sept. 16 at Florida (7 p.m. EDT, ESPN).

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Josh Heupel discusses clock rule change in 2023

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discusses a clock rule change in 2023.

The 2023 college football season will kick off Aug. 26.

The 2023 season will feature a new rule change for starting and stopping the game clock when first downs are converted.

When an offense gains a first down, the clock will no longer stop except with less than two minutes remaining in the second and fourth quarters.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel was asked about the rule change at SEC media days.

“The clock rule at the end of the first half, I think everybody is going to be playing in the same way,” Heupel said. “I don’t think it’s going to have a dramatic, different effect on us versus another offense.

“How you manage your timeouts might be a little different at the end of regulation or the end of the half. All in all, we’ll see what the numbers play out to be, but there’s a series of the game that’s probably taken away in general for every team because of some of the clock rules. We’ll see how that plays out during the course of the year.”

Everything Josh Heupel said at 2023 SEC media days

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Josh Heupel declares there is only one real UT, one right shade of orange

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel declares there is only one real UT and one right shade of orange.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel concluded Southeastern Conference media days at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 20.

Oklahoma and Texas will join the SEC in 2024, which prompted an obvious question. Heupel was asked which school can rightfully claim to call itself UT.

“There’s only one real UT, one right shade of orange,” Heupel said.

Heupel led Oklahoma to the 2000 BCS national championship as the Sooners’ starting quarterback. He finished second in the 2000 Heisman Memorial Trophy voting behind Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke.

Oklahoma and Heupel defeated Texas, 63-14, in 2000.

Tennessee will kick off its 2023 season Sept. 2 versus Virginia. Kickoff is slated for noon EDT and ABC will televise the matchup at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

PHOTOS: Josh Heupel wins 2000 national championship at Oklahoma

Josh Heupel details watching Joe Milton’s growth at Tennessee

Josh Heupel details watching quarterback Joe Milton’s growth at Tennessee.

Tennessee concluded Southeastern Conference media days at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee on July 20.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed what it has been like to watch the growth of quarterback Joe Milton III entering his third season with the Vols.

“I think one of the great stories in college football, in the era of the transfer portal, is his trust and ability to recognize areas that he can continue to grow in and trust the people around him, that we have his best interests at heart,” Heupel said of Milton III at SEC media days. “Understand that within our scheme, he’s going to have an opportunity to do everything he wants to, which is be one of the best players in college football. Through that process over the last, you know, 18 to 24 months, he’s continued to grow in his comfort of who he is, what he’s about and how he wants to attack and approach every single day and how he wants to grow as a football player, meaning fundamentally at the quarterback position, along with understanding offensive and defensive schemes so that he can put his eyes in the right spot, get his body in the right spot to be consistently accurate with the football, and then how he wants to impact his teammates.

“Nobody inside our program was surprised by the success that he had when he got his opportunity last year as a starter. He played extremely well when he got into football games throughout the course of the season. His preparation, his urgency, how he practiced, all those things led himself and everybody inside our building to believing that he was going to play at that type of level, and he’s got a lot more out there. He’s had a great off-season for 15 practices in spring ball. Did a great job of working, navigating the pocket, and being extremely accurate with the football. I’m really excited to get back on the grass with him during the course of training camp. I believe he’s poised to have a great ’23 season.”

Everything Josh Heupel said at 2023 SEC media days

Everything Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said at 2023 SEC media days.

Josh Heupel and Tennessee concluded Southeastern Conference media days on Thursday at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.

“I’d like to welcome to you to mid-state and the city of Nashville,” Heupel said during his opening statement on the main stage at media days. “Hope you guys have had a great week here, enjoying some music, enjoying Broadway and having some fun. This city and this area of the state, mid-state, is extremely important to the success of Tennessee. It’s a big part of our past success, as well, and a lot of great Vol fans and former players that call this place home, and so excited to see them.

“It’s fitting that we are here today for SEC media day, because in 44 days we get an opportunity to kick off against Virginia right here in Nissan Stadium. Looking forward to seeing everybody in Vol nation show up in droves for that ballgame.”

Below is everything Heupel said when taking questions from media on the main the stage.

Top quotes from every head coach at 2023 SEC media days

A look at the top quotes from every head coach at 2023 SEC football media days.

Southeastern Conference media days concluded Thursday at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.

Third-year head coach Josh Heupel and student athletes Joe Milton III, Omari Thomas and Jacob Warren represented Tennessee at media days.

Georgia is projected to win the SEC East, while Alabama is predicted to win the SEC West in 2023. 2023 is the final season with divisions in the SEC.

Georgia is projected to win the SEC championship.

Following the conclusion of SEC media days at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Vols Wire looks at top quotes from head coaches. Top quotes from SEC head coaches on the main stage at media days are listed below.

Tennessee projected to finish second in SEC East

Tennessee football is projected to finish second in the SEC East.

Southeastern Conference media days concluded Thursday at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.

Third-year head coach Josh Heupel and student athletes Joe Milton III, Omari Thomas and Jacob Warren represented Tennessee at media days.

Tennessee will kick off its 2023 season on Sept. 2 versus Virginia.

Kickoff between the Vols and Cavaliers is slated for noon EDT at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. ABC will televise the season-opening matchup.

Tennessee’s 2023 home schedule has contests against Austin Peay, UTSA, South Carolina, Texas A&M, UConn, Georgia and Vanderbilt.

The Vols’ road schedule features games at Alabama, Florida, Kentucky and Missouri.

Ahead of the season kicking off, media voted on Southeastern Conference East and West division winners, as well as a league champion at media days. Voting results for a projected order of finish in 2023 are listed below.

2023 SEC preseason media voting results

East:
Georgia
Tennessee
South Carolina
Kentucky
Florida
Missouri
Vanderbilt

West:
Alabama
LSU
Texas A&M
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Auburn
Mississippi State

Champion: Georgia

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PHOTOS: Josh Heupel, Vols’ student-athletes at 2023 SEC media days

PHOTOS: Josh Heupel and Tennessee student-athletes at 2023 SEC media days

Southeastern Conference media days took place July 17-20 at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and student-athletes Joe Milton III, Omari Thomas and Jacob Warren concluded media days on Thursday.

The Vols will kick off its 2023 season on Sept. 2 versus Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Kickoff between Tennessee and the Cavaliers is slated for noon EDT and will be televised by ABC.

The 2023 season will be the third for Tennessee under Heupel. Heupel has compiled an 18-8 (10-6 SEC) record as the Vols’ head coach since 2021.

Below are photos and Heupel, Milton III, Thomas and Warren.

Josh Heupel’s opening statement at 2023 SEC media days

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel’s opening statement at 2023 SEC media days.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel concluded Southeastern Conference media days Thursday at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.

Heupel’s opening statement from the main stage is transcribed below.

“I’d like to welcome to you to mid-state and the city of Nashville,” Heupel said. “Hope you guys have had a great week here, enjoying some music, enjoying Broadway and having some fun. This city and this area of the state, mid-state, is extremely important to the success of Tennessee. It’s a big part of our past success, as well, and a lot of great Vol fans and former players that call this place home, and so excited to see them. It’s fitting that we are here today for SEC media day, because in 44 days we get an opportunity to kick off against Virginia right here in Nissan Stadium. Looking forward to seeing everybody in Vol nation show up in droves for that ballgame.

“As I was getting ready for today, you know, just started writing down some notes last night and really started to reflect just on the past two years and what has transpired inside of our program at our university, and where we’re come in such a short amount of time. When I took over two years ago, there was so much uncertainty that surrounded our program in late January, and because of the connection and accountability and the love and trust we’ve built inside of the building with our players and staff, we’ve been able to climb relatively quickly, but to go back to that time, you know, we were a program that entered that fall with only 65 scholarships, the uncertainty of an investigation that was taking place on our campus. I said in a room just like this two years ago that it would be a speed bump for the program, our football program, and a few days ago, we found out that that certainly was the case. We have navigated it in such a positive way because of the leadership that we have. Phenomenal leadership on our campus from President (Randy) Boyd to Chancellor (Donde) Plowman to our athletic director. We have been transparent and real, and been able to close that narrative on our program and move forward. I’m not sure that there’s a better time to be a Vol. You look at the trajectory of our football program, what’s happened over the last two years and where we are going, and the energy and excitement that surrounds our building every day, our fan base, Vol nation across the country, but the success happening in each and every sport that resides inside of our athletic department. Phenomenal leadership with coaches and great student athletes that do things the right way.”

Tennessee will kick off its 2023 season Sept. 2 versus Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Kickoff between the Vols and Cavaliers is slated for noon EDT and will be televised by ABC.

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SEC media days: Josh Heupel discusses AI becoming a resource in college football

SEC media days: Josh Heupel discusses AI becoming a resource in college football

Southeastern Conference media days concluded Thursday at the Grand Hyatt in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tennessee’s Josh Heupel was the final SEC head coach to speak on the main stage at media days.

Heupel was asked about the emergence of artificial intelligence and how it can factor into college football programs and in recruiting.

“AI is infiltrating so many different areas from business, I’m sure in sport, too,” Heupel said. “Eventually it becomes a resource probably for everybody inside of college football.

“You know, how quickly that part takes inside of our program, I can’t give you an answer on, but I’m sure that at some point it will.”

LSU head coach Brian Kelly details AI having intriguing opportunities in recruiting

PHOTOS: Josh Heupel through the years