Tennessee Volunteers Preview 2022: Season Prediction, Breakdown, Key Games, Players

Tennessee College Football Preview 2022: Team breakdown, season prediction, keys to the campaign, and what you need to know

Tennessee Volunteers Preview 2022: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Tennessee season with what you need to know and keys to the season.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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Tennessee Volunteers Preview
Head Coach: Josh Heupel, 2nd year at Tennessee, 7-6
5th year overall, 35-14. 2021 Preview
2021 Record: Overall: 7-6, Conference: 4-4
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Tennessee Top 10 Players | UT Schedule & Analysis

Tennessee Volunteers Preview 2022

Josh Heupel gave Tennessee fans almost exactly what they could’ve wanted out of a first season from a new head coach in a rebuilding run.

Yeah, everyone was looking for more than a 7-6 season. Yeah, it would’ve been nice to have been more competitive against Georgia and Alabama and (gulp) Florida, and losing to Ole Miss and that coach and dropping the bowl game to Purdue like that stunk, but …

The offense was great, and now the program has an identity to build around.

What Tennessee fans – and all fans of programs with a new head man – wanted to see was hope for the future. Fans want to be able to see the vision for what’s coming once all the right parts are there and everyone has settled in, and Heupel provided just that.

You want offense? You want fireworks? You want the type of team that’s going to scare the holy sh … stuff out of everyone? That’s exactly what the Tennessee attack did.

Now the rest of the SEC has been warned – you either get off the bus ready to put up at least 450 yards and 35 points, or you need not apply.

There are still going to be rocky spots on Rocky Top.

The offensive line has to pass protect better, the defense has to be stronger under the pressure of always being on the field, and the schedule with Alabama, and at LSU, and at Georgia, and Florida, and at Pitt isn’t going to be a breeze.

But it’s happening. The offense is going to give this team more of a realistic shot to do big things against the big teams this year and in the near future.

Tennessee is now in a position to be Tennessee again. There’s no reason why the program can’t take another big step forward under Heupel on the way to becoming a real, live SEC contender again.

That’s what 2021 did for the expectations, and that’s more than okay.

Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Tennessee Top 10 Players | UT Schedule & Analysis

Tennessee Volunteers Preview 2022: Offense, Defense NEXT

Tennessee Volunteers Top 10 Players: College Football Preview 2022

Who are the top 10 Tennessee players going into the 2022 college football season?

Tennessee Volunteers Preview 2022: Who are the top 10 players going into the season?


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

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Tennessee Volunteers Preview 
Tennessee 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown | Keys To The Season
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Tennessee Schedule & Analysis 

Tennessee Volunteers: CFN College Football Preview 2021

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Tennessee season with what you need to know.

College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Tennessee season with what you need to know.


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Tennessee Schedule Analysis
– Tennessee Volunteers Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

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2020 Record: 3-7 overall, 3-7 in SEC
Head Coach: Josh Heupel, 1st year (28-8 overall)
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 75
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 36

Tennessee Volunteers College Football Preview 2021: Offense

Alright, let’s get this thing going already. Tennessee is about to attempt to go from 0-to-60 with an offense that’s finally going to give teams something to worry about.

Last year the Vols were dead last in the SEC in third down conversions, 11th in total offense averaging 346 yards per game, and 12th in scoring averaging just 22 points per outing. There were moments, but the O scored more than 19 points once in the final seven games, and that came against Vanderbilt.

Enter new head coach Josh Heupel and an attack brought over from UCF that’s going to go fast, push the ball down the field, and at the very least be far more interesting. He’s bringing over offensive coordinator Alex Golesh from UCF, and he’s adding a TON of options from the transfer portal, and now …

– Welcome to the most interesting quarterback situation in college football. Jarrett Guarantano led the Vols in passing, and now he’s a Washington State Cougar. JT Shrout got in some throws, and now he’s a Colorado Buffalo. Harrison Bailey stepped in as the star-in-waiting and completed 71% of his throws for 578 yards and four touchdowns, and if the season started right now he might be QB1, but …

Joe Milton was the starting quarterback at Michigan. He struggled and sputtered, but he’s got the size, skills and arm to grow into the job. Hendon Hooker was the star playmaker for Virginia Tech for a few seasons, and he brings the mobility, experience, and resumé no one else in the mix has.

If you came to Tennessee as a tight end, you’re probably in the transfer portal now. It’s not that Heupel and his offense totally ignores the position, but … tight ends are better off elsewhere, and that’s why four took off. However, Austin Pope and Princeton Want are sticking around – they’re the best two, anyway.

Leading receiver Josh Palmer is done, but Velus Jones is a dynamic playmaker who should thrive in the new attack, Jalin Hyatt is a dangerous deep threat, and Cedric Tillman adds 6-3 size and matchup problems.

– For all of the fun the UCF passing game had, the running backs turned out to be stars, too. The Vols lose top backs Ty Chandler (North Carolina) and Eric Gray (Oklahoma), and now it might be up to star JUCO transfer Tiyon Evans if third-leading back Jabari Small isn’t used more.

The offensive front that struggled so much in pass protection loses Trey Smith to the NFL and tackles Wanya Morris (Oklahoma) and Jahmir Johnson (Texas A&M) to the portal. Cade Mays, though, should be one of the nation’s best blockers no matter where he plays, Darnell Wright is a future NFL Draft pick, and there’s enough in place to come up with a solid front five.

– What You Need To Know: Defense
Top Players | Keys To The Season
What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
Tennessee Schedule Analysis

NEXT: Tennessee Volunteers College Football Preview 2021: Defense