Tennessee Football: Josh Heupel says Vols roster at its deepest

Josh hyle did actually say something Illuminating yesterday and Josh hyle never says anything Illuminating because he's he said in Nashville that this is the deepest roster he's had since he's been at Tennessee his exact quote was this is the deepest that a roster has been at any point that's the front lines o line dline that's our skill position players you look at our wide receiver numbers just pure numbers we're deeper than we've been now we all agree with that I would have thought that anyway but does the fact that Josh Hy will say it lend itself to what I've thought from the whole time which is that he is 100% Allin for 2024 um I think him saying it is an effort to breed confidence within his team but I really don't agree with him on that I do not really I heard him say the wide receiver room is the deepest okay I'll go with that is your quarterback room the deepest when you had henden hooker and Joe Milton no is your running back room as deep as it was a year ago no is your offensive line deep with Talent no you're still trying to find a starter is your secondary deep and talented no in my opinion the two areas where I will agree with him is the defensive line and wide receiver do you realize that Tennessee's only got seven returning starters from last year's team two on defense and that's your deepest and most talented roster I'm I'm not in that camp I thought his 2022 team was um was deeper more talented than this one wow that's definitely Up For Debate Caleb Jimmy I disagree I'm just gonna say I disagree I just I I figured that might be coming so I just tell tell me where they're better okay so I'm just G to say this y'all think I'm crazy because I keep saying Nico was created in El latro and hyp so as good as hinden hooker was I'm already saying niiko malava is going to be better at quarterback than hinden hooker I'm not in that camp either but go ahead I'm in that camp I think by default Jake merklinger is better than Joe Milton I'm sorry I'm sorry to say that but I just think by default Jake merklinger is the better quarterback uh than Joe Milton um I actually agree with you about the running back room Jabari small and Jaylen right I mean like they're both gone that so the running back room is the one area I agree with you with but I actually think the secondary is deeper I think the secondary is better than 2022 you might have had me with 2021 when elante Taylor was still there but I think I think this secondary this year and again a lot of this is projection I get you're saying they're deeper based on proven talent I agree with you on that I'm going based off projections though I really do feel like I would take this defensive back unit this secondary unit of the transfer guys and gerod McCoy and jacobe Thomas and the the potential I do believe of BU Carter I would take that over the 2022 secondary because I thought the 20222 secondary was effectively air I mean Kamal Baden was horrible that year he got better but he was awful in 2022 so and offensive line so you have me with running back in offensive line I got you you got me there I'm I'm Gonna Stand Down on those two I got nothing for you on those everywhere else though I think they're deeper Jimmy apparently Josh hyle thinks they're deeper in the secondary because they made no real effort to keep some guys that entered the transfer portal and there was just a minimal addressing I thought of uh what what they did last year so basically last year they're not very good and this year they come into the season replacing everybody have you ever even seen anything quite like that no they have lost 11 defensive backs from last year's Team all of their starters and at least six at least six have gone on to a power five school now does that mean Tennessee underachieved in coaching them or will they go to these other schools and sit on the bench I I don't know and we don't know where Conor is going to go he's the most recent he's the 11th defensive back now three of those uh had completed their eligibility in there off to the pros or at least going to try to make it in the pros um I don't I don't know how the secondary can be any better than it was a year ago although I thought the secondary last year was awful I think it's going to be bad again and if these guys are going to be better and and maybe these transfers will be better than what they had but I've seen some other transfers come in Andre Tarantino who didn't look all that good to me so I'm not I'm not sold on that group uh in the secondary I think they're going to struggle again I also think the numbers could potentially be skewed a little bit because Tennessee is going to be very difficult to run against which means that Ten teams realize hey we can't run on them better throw it so teams May average 250 yards a game throwing plus Tennessee typically jumps out to a lead which Forces teams to throw as well but I I just I am not solding this secondary at all I don't think they'll be very good interesting um Jimmy as as far as the statement this is the deepest our roster has been at any point is Josh hyle uh shortsighted in saying that because he raises expectations or is he wise and that he Stokes the nil fires in Nashville well I I don't know if it's related to nil I think it's related to engendering confidence within his team and selling tickets now when you go the direction he did what happens if you don't make the college football playoffs well then you say you're a champion of life and you get another year well how' that work last I saw them they were on some canoes that's right does Deliverance come to mind um but I I I think that um I think Tennessee is nine and three that that's where I have them Peg uh I just I have a hard time seeing them going 11 and two which is what they did a couple of years ago and they beat Clemson the orange bow I don't I don't think this team is going to be that good because I see more hes in this team than Josh Hyo or Caleb sees with this team I just again they return seven starters that's it seven there are a lot of projections that have to come through if you just want to take 22 minus 7 that's 15 you need 12 or 13 of those project players to be solid or you're in trouble yeah and I'm even counting Brew McCoy's a returning starter okay who didn't even start half the games but I'm counting him because he was a starter before he got hurt uh but I I'm just not as um I'm just not as bullish on this uh on this roster I see dep at several positions that I really like I mentioned them before receiver and defensive line uh linebacker possibly if they stay healthy but I just the rest of hey here's another one do you think they can be as good as tight end as they were a year ago I don't how you going to replace warrant and castles they combined for 38 catches and what nine touchdowns so I I don't think they'll be as good as tight end either I'm just I'm just not as crazy about this roster as some people interesting just so go ahead uh Caleb give us 30 seconds Jimmy's appearance brought to you by Ray Varner for experience at all at rayon Ford and Clinton need a quick fix or routine maintenance visit our quicklane tire and auto center keep your Ford running smoothly with the experts in our service department ready for your next Ford our sales team's here to guide you through 24 Ford battle ANS Bronco 59829 24 Ford Maverick all-wheel drive 28540 24 Ford Explorer XLT four-wheel drive $ 4999 local you trust experience you can afford rayor ford your East Tennessee Ford dealership all right Caleb we got to sell some cars first shoot um so Jimmy I I will bolster your point on this and I want to draw a couple parallels and give me your thoughts because you covered both of these teams that I'm about to bring up because every time I usually hear a coach say stuff to instill confidence in his team it almost never ends well during the season and I got two examples for you and you tell me if you got any Vibes of these two seasons with hyping what he said I remember Derrik duly ahead of the 2012 season at SEC media Day saying you're not going to have Tennessee to kick around anymore so you remember that one right when he said that I do remember that he was talking about vanderbelt when he said that I think um and then I also remember heading into the 2005 season Philip former was so worried about getting the Auburn treatment from 2004 that he went out of his way to make Tennessee as National of a brand as possible including seeing Eric a has the same qualities as pton Manning um as a sophomore quarterback I remember that distinctly do does does Josh hyp saying what he said yesterday does that draw similar concerns to you of what duie or Fulmer did during those two years not really uh I think the 2005 season was undermined by and I'm going to call it a fact the fact that Eric AES got beat out at quarterback by Rick Clawson and former started AE over Clawson he opened the compet ition Clawson had the better spring he started a half the team on offense wanted Clawson half the team wanted a I think that split the team that was a preseason number three team in the country by the way that ended up with a losing record you don't have any split at quarterback this upcoming season what Derek Dy said was just foolish uh among the many things he said that were foolish I I don't have an issue with that I do think that now if em is as good as henden hooker Kay would you think think he's better than he can cover up a lot of Els I get that I also remember that and I do like this receiving core but that that receiving cor a few years ago with Jaylen hey Cedric Tillman uh Devonte pton that was a pretty good group so um I um I don't think there's a danger of of uh falling apart like those other two coaches did which uh by the way for former kind of set the table for him to be fired because he had two losing seasons in in what four years but no I don't think this team will fall off the map like those two teams did Jimmy I I I look at this team and uh I I do go back to the culture why I don't think they'll fall apart and you said it to to begin the segment that they do have something good going there and really don't see that going sideways anytime soon I don't either yeah I think they'll be fine I I did see if I can address this quickly somebody sent in a text about about if they lose uh EML OFA the season could fall apart is there anybody else where that could happen to I'm I'm going to give you two names where it could really uh go sideways if they lose Dylan Samson who's really the only proven running bank they have right now because of all the injuries to the others and if they lose Cooper Ma you remember what happened to the start of last year they Ma and they went down to Florida and played like played Gastly uh I think those would be two to watch for if they lose them that would really derail this season okay you mentioned Samson those that are huge Hyo fans would just tell you oh no that Cameron seldon's going to be great even though he's been hurt and even though I question his ability instinctually to run um Jimmy so what are you hearing about what do you hear about Seldon I hear he's a very talented running back a good running back he's got good speed uh but he's got to stay healthy Javari small battled health issues his whole career didn't he over his shoulder issue pyton Lewis doesn't even go through the spring because he was injured those things concern me um if they can stay healthy I think they would be okay if Samson goes out of the equation but I'm not I I don't know if they can stay healthy and they also like to have a three-man rotation at running back you take Samson out now they're down to two uh probably I haven't seen anything out of out of khif at Keith that makes me think he's going to a good back so I do like Seldon I think he's a good back but he's also unproven so that that concerns me a little bit about where they are Samson U had over 600 yards he led the team with eight touchdowns he averaged 5.7 yards a carry I believe I think he is a quality running back now he does need to improve his pass protection but I think he's a guy that could burst on the scene I'm not saying he's as good as Jaylen Wright but I think he could be a thousand yard rusher for Tennessee if he stays healthy and gets enough carries Stu anything go Caleb yeah Jimmy I wanted to I wanted to ask you about this on a and and this will also bolster your point to a certain degree because this is probably the first team we see and I know I'm high on niik imal Avan I know we've had our debates on this but this is the first team I've seen that's mostly Josh hypo recruits and I talked about Kanor ining the port entering the portal the other day and a lot of the players you said that you believe made Tennessee deeper a couple years ago they were not hyper recruits they were Pro recruits I need some even but Jones recruits is there still the concern to you that maybe one of the reasons they're thin is Josh Hy's just misevaluated talent I mean this is the guy that thought Joe Milton was better than hinden hooker so I'm thinking how big of a concern is that and does that lead to you maybe thinking they're not as deep as he thinks because he's not evaluating talent properly I think they two areas where they've done a poor job of evaluating talent offensive line secondary those are the two bigger biggest concerns I have with this group they have signed what I thought were some really good players Addison Nichols comes in here he's one and done he's out of here why have they not been able to develop some of these offensive linemen I I don't get that and I don't think hypo recruited either Cooper May or spragin right in the portal they got Campbell and he's a nice player but that was from the portal so they have not recruited they've not brought in very many offensive linemen that have jumped up and improved and and developed into good players the same with the secondary and I remember a year ago you really liked was it Jordan Matthews in the secondary now maybe he steps up this year I don't know maybe Ricky Gibson steps up this year I don't know but my goodness when you lose 11 players out of your secondary now In fairness I probably should say eight because three of them were done with their eligibility and and you're not any better than what you've been and a lot of these players are going off to other schools many of them at Power five schools there's something a miss about your evaluation or or your coaching in the secondary so those are the two areas where I would really knock them as far as recruiting okay I want to throw this one last thing at you I'm sorry to keep you long Jimmy but um I want to get back to the original point and that was quote This Is The Deepest that our roster has been at any point despite whether or not we agree with that if you're Bill Martin Tennessee's public relations guy and Josh hyp comes over to you and says you know what I'm going to do I'm going to throw out deepest rer at any point in my career and that'll get people excited if you're Bill Martin you consider the expectations right what would you advise him at that point one of the deepest rosters I've had it's so simple that's all right and now when you say one of it's only the fourth roster but at least you've covered yourself or I would say the potential to have the deepest roster or or just say I love this roster yeah I I agree with the receivers I agree with the the defensive line um I do think it's interesting that that Caleb thinks merkling is already better than Joe Milton but but here's here's another thought too didn't you think hooker was much better his last year than his first year as a starter at Tennessee I did but I also think the big difference was Cooper ma being healthy his last year more time toow see I think I think EML was not going to be a finished product this year I think he can be better in 2025 so I'm not ready to say he's going to be better than hooker what the 22 version of hooker versus the 24 version of Nico so uh but Nico in 2025 might be that guy I'm not ready to say he will be this year