By Ryan Cloud
Tennessee Weekly
While the Vols wait to see which bowl game they will play in, it’s already time to start thinking about the 2024 season. Finishing the year 8-4 (4-4 SEC), Tennessee fell short of expectations one year removed from a two-loss season that saw the Vols dominate Clemson in the Orange Bowl. To say there are question marks heading into next season would be an understatement.
The Tennessee defense proved to be improved from a year ago despite disappointing losses to Florida, Alabama, Missouri and Georgia. Offensively, we saw a team that moved slightly slower and less aggressive than the 2022 team.
So, what should the top three priorities be for Tennessee heading into the 2024 season?
Priority #1 – Find experienced defensive backs in the transfer portal
Despite having experienced players like Kamal Hadden, Doneiko Slaughter and Tank McCullough, the Vols still ranked 78th in the nation and 10th in the SEC in pass yards allowed. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the pass defense may have been even worse a year ago. While Boo Carter (four-star safety) and Kaleb Beasley (four-star cornerback) will help Tennessee in the years to come, the Vols will need immediate help next year to compete for one of the 12 playoff spots next year. While there are no superstar-level defensive backs in the portal at the time of this writing, the Vols need to exhaust that avenue and find serviceable players that can serve as protectors in the secondary.
Priority #2 – Keep the running back trio together
The only thing better than a two-headed monster is a three-headed dragon. The trio of Jaylen Wright, Jabari Small and Dylan Sampson were unstoppable for most of the year. They led the Vols as the 12th-ranked rushing offense in the nation and the top rushing attack in the SEC. Wright, a junior, led the team with 1,013 yards and four touchdowns. Small ended the year with 475 yards and two touchdowns. Sampson, a sophomore, tallied 471 yards and seven touchdowns. Keeping this unit together for one more year can take some of the pressure off young Nico Iamaleava.
While Wright will likely go through the draft process, it’s Small who has the greatest chance to leave the program. He is a senior and ended the year as the third man in the rotation on most days. He has the ability to be a standout player in a lower-level program. Would Small transfer to be the focal point of a rushing attack, I don’t know, but the Tennessee coaching staff needs to do what they can to encourage him to use his COVID year.
Priority #3 – Consider all options at quarterback
First and foremost, Iamaleava should be the Vols starting quarterback next year. The program invested a lot to get him to Knoxville, and another year on the bench may have him thinking about his next destination. With that said, there are just too many talented quarterbacks entering the transfer portal to ignore. While chasing down the likes of Cam Ward, DJ Uiagalelei, Will Rogers or even Riley Leonard may result in unnecessary controversy, finding a great back-up veteran QB that could push Iamaleava would be a good decision. Plus, the Vols need to be prepared in the event of an injury. Remember what happened in 2021 when Joe Milton went down with an injury?
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