Did anyone have 11-2 and an Orange Bowl win over Clemson on the bingo card for 2022? We sure didn’t. Josh Heupel has completely transformed Tennessee into a contender in just 24 months — a shocking development considering where this roster was when Jeremy Pruitt was fired.
Heupel, along with the steadying presence of Hendon Hooker and explosiveness of Jalin Hyatt, took Tennessee to No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff reveal this year. Things didn’t end how they wanted, but the arrow is pointing in the right direction in Knoxville.
I think we all wondered what would happen once Hooker and Hyatt exited, however, a 2023 preview game in Miami against Clemson restored the faith.