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[00:01]
A
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[01:05]
C
Okay. We're here at SEC Media Days with Vince Farrar, Sports animal Man, it's a, it's a pleasure having you on for the first time. We've been such fans of yours for a long, long time being from east Tennessee, so just it's almost surreal for us to sit with you.
[01:20]
A
No, I appreciate it. Enjoy your work. You guys put out great content and we're talking about appearances on other shows and things like that and you guys do it well. So great to be on with you.
[01:30]
C
Thanks. So what was a major takeaway from Tennessee's Media Days for you?
[01:35]
A
Well, Josh Hypo having jokes. Yeah. You could make a list of people that would have jokes and he would not be very high on the list of coaches that would have jokes, but not that many of them would but you know, the kiffins of the world and things like that. So yeah, he was feeling good and seemingly pretty confident about his team. So when he's taking jabs at Lane Kiffin about stocking mustard bottles and grocery stores and golf balls and sporting good storage, you know, he's feeling good. So I think that was good. And, and apparently Lane Kiffin not going to respond because he's allegedly shut down his social media thanks to his sons, Knox. So I thought for sure because I, I did a, a one on one for our afternoon show with him at the end of his day on Monday and I said, you know, Kiffin is going to reply to you. He's like, yeah, I haven't checked my phone. He probably already has. But apparently not so that's good, but maybe it'll come back up when. And then another one was taking a little jab at Texas too, when they come to, to Knoxville. And he said, oh, you mean when the real UT host the other ut. So you know, it. That, that was kind of a little bit different side from Hypo. But we knew all the players, we talked to them all the time. We knew all of them would just come across beautifully. Yeah. You know, they all have really good stories. All great representatives talk awesome about Tennessee. So it wasn't surprised that those guys were, were very, very good on the stage.
[03:05]
D
Yeah, I try to. You always try to read into it like, man, coach had a lot of swagger. And then I'm starting to think, was that because he's happy or because he heard about DGG or. How big is that for us, huh?
[03:17]
A
Oh, it's. It's massive. And Ron Slay from Nashville, he tried to, to bait, you hear?
[03:25]
D
Yes.
[03:26]
A
And that's, that's as honestly as flustered as I've seen Coach Hypo. And then he, like, he didn't know what to say. You want to get in trouble? So I'm not sure if he knew at that point or not because that was before the announcement yesterday. But it's huge. And it's much more of a needle mover for Tennessee than it would have been for Ohio State. Right. They got plenty of five stars. They have running backs, they have all that. Look at Tennessee potentially for next year. It's not like they're not short of five stars because they do, you know, multiple at wide receiver and TK Keys and Mike Matthews, quarterback and Faison Brandon left tackle and David Sanders Jr. You could even count Gabriel Senda, who on one service is a five star. That's a lot of five star talent next year if everybody's there in play. So, yeah, it was, it was massive. He is a generational talent. One of, one of the guys, a former player for Tennessee. You guys probably know Kevin Simon. Yeah, he does a lot on our station. And he fills in on the morning show for, for John sometimes. And he was breaking down David Gabriel. It's George, by the way. Apparently. So we lost the S on dgg, so these things always change with pronunciations. But he broke down his game. He said he is a guy that just last year started initiating contact and kind of lowering his shoulder through contact because he'd just be so used to just running around guys or easily through guys without initiating that contact. And he said he slows his feet down when he, he gets contact. He said when he improves that it's going to take him to another level. So he's not even like a finished product yet. So he was so excited and he, Kevin's been an NFL scout, you know, coach on the college level. Tennessee. He said he cannot remember a better high school running back that he's seen and he's seen the Derek Hendries and the Reggie Bushes and all that. So he is out of this world on dgg. So massive pickup.
[05:28]
C
So I've got Tennessee making the playoff this year.
[05:30]
A
Nice.
[05:31]
C
And I think ideally that that would mean they'd have to be at least 10 and 2. What happens for Tennessee to get there? Like what unknowns have to be answered in your mind for Tennessee to make the playoff?
[05:42]
A
Yeah, DGG being eligible this year. That's not going to happen. No, it's, it's two other letters. It's Q and it's B. And that, that has to be really good for them to get 10 and 2. I know a couple of years ago they made the playoff with Dylan Sampson having a record year for Tennessee running back and then a top level defense with a nine game SEC schedule. I don't think that recipe gets you in this time. Yes, they have four games against teams that don't have very high expectations this year. Let's balance out with the four top tennis teams that they play, three of them at home. No real gauntlets. So yeah, it. But it's still nine SEC games so I don't think they can use that. They have to be better at the quarterback position than they were a couple of years ago than they. When they made it. So yes, I would say. And the most likely is Faison Brandon. Interesting. I got in a question of Arch Manning in the electronic room and he said he spent some time this summer with George McIntyre so didn't get into super detail because he was a little bit short with his answers. But he said he'd never been to Neyland Stadium before. He's excited about that game. And, and so yeah, see he sounded very positive about McIntyre. You know it when, when those two being so close in the quarterback race, you expected a little bit more of a separation for a guy that's had a year in the system. And because it's not, I thought that Faison Brandon had the better spring out of the two. And that's not just a spring game. That was kind of practices all throughout. Not a massive difference, but better. And he's got the higher ceiling. No Doubt about that. I think he's going to be a star. I think he's the most prepared high school quarterback that Tennessee has had in many, many years, and that's both mentally and physically in terms of a total package. But does that mean that he starts game one? He's going to be great out of the gate. Man, if you put that guy out there, fans are going to expect it regardless of what the, if it says fr, you know, period, next to his name on the roster. So it's going to be unfair either, either way in terms of those expectations. But he, they have a chance to do some special things if that guy is special out of the gate.
[08:03]
D
When I always hear competition, quarterback competition especially, I always hear either A, two guys are really pushing each other and there's just not that separation, or B, coach is afraid of which one to give the keys to. So if, if you were looking at this competition, which side of that spectrum you think we're on?
[08:21]
A
Well, he's going to say that they're making each other better, right? I, I, I think that there's a little bit of, of pause with George McIntyre. I'm not saying that, that he can't do everything or function the offense. I just wonder if there's some limitation in what they can do. And they maybe see Faison, Brandon as opening up a few more doors for them to be able to go in and pull some plays and do some things. And one of those could be the run game with the design runs that we haven't seen enough of from Tennessee's quarterback since Endon Hooker that's kind of been sort of dabbled out there, but not enough of it. And I think ideally they get that kind of playmaking from their quarterback and I think they have a better chance to do that with Faison. Brandon, how good is he right out of the gate? I would love to see them settle it on the field as opposed to practices, but we really haven't seen Josh Hyple do that yet, so kind of not going to hold my breath waiting for that.
[09:25]
D
And you know how we're always, well, next year is our year. You look, hey, Faison catches fire. We got DGG coming in. We got keys out here. We got a real young, talented team to build around.
[09:36]
A
You got, you got expectations here through the roof. You kidding me?
[09:42]
B
Already.
[09:42]
A
Already are. Although there's still some people that have some hesitation on Josh Hypo being the one. Well, I, I don't know that the hot seat discussion is as warranted as maybe some Some fans think it is or as legit. I don't think Danny White and, and those inside the walls can't speak for every donor but I don't think it's as hot for them as it is for some fans are just kind of frustrated.
[10:09]
C
Yeah. But we've talked with others. Every coach is on the hot seat if you don't get, if you don't get the wins.
[10:16]
A
Right.
[10:16]
C
So I, I firmly believe they are showcasing this offseason their commitment to Josh Hyple with Jim Knowles with the new strength coach now DGG and many you mentioned all the talent on the roster. So he's got to deliver. But it's, it's fair to say that I think he's got the pieces to succeed. But would you also agree that they are doing everything they can to help him succeed?
[10:37]
A
There's no doubt. I think he deserves credit too because some of those moves that he made in the offseason, specifically in changing his DC and Tim Banks who was here from the jump with him, that's not a comfort level thing. That's not something he has done is make staff changes. So that was a hard decision for him to make. They've had really good defenses prior to last year's bottom out. They had some really good ranked defenses but I, I think it did have a little bit of staleness to it. They couldn't tackle very predictable. Talk to NFL people and they're like yeah, people offenses knew what Tennessee was doing defensively. That will change with Jim Knowles. So for the fact that that Vanderbilt game ended the way it did and you being punched in the face on your home field by Vanderbilt, someone that people absolutely will refuse to accept you losing to them no matter what their record is or what New Mexico State transfer is their quarterback or where the venue is, fans will not accept that. So they took that to heart that hey there's some urgency to this situation. We're not just going to ride out seven, eight win seasons. So I give them credit then obviously paying up kind of to your point of giving them the resources paying up to get Jim Knowles paying up to get Derrick Owings from Indiana coming off his national championship. He was in the facility early the next morning helping get things started for Tennessee with strength and conditioning and it seems like it's already paying off and they need that at the line of scrimmage and then those fourth quarters to be able to finish out games.
[12:15]
D
Well, I wanted questions that keep that I've heard a couple of times when we brought up Tennessee, we Had Jim Nagy here running around with. With the Sooners.
[12:24]
C
Is.
[12:24]
D
Has there ever been a conversation about something like that or is there a combination of people already doing that there in Knoxville?
[12:32]
A
Like the GM role. Yeah. They just haven't put a marquee person.
[12:38]
D
Yeah.
[12:38]
A
In that role to sort of be the face of the. Of football and Jim Nagy so incredibly knowledgeable and those that kind of want to pass that off. I get it. But no, they, they have people that do it. It's just more behind the scenes and it's shared as opposed to one front person. Just a different philosophy to do a bit same thing. I mean, you know, to. In terms of the commitment. The money is there. They're not. They're not trying to be the biggest spender, not trying to be Miami, but they work. All work at it. In fact, Danny White told us on our morning show that they did a coach's retreat where the big topic of conversation was adjusting to today's landscape and being real about changing their philosophy and approach and looking at it more NFL style. They had a couple of guest speakers in including Bill Polian there to. To talk to all of Tennessee's coaches about this new world of college athletics and then how you handle your nil budget. And so they are putting in the work on it and adjusting to it. They just don't have that front person right now.
[13:49]
C
Oh, almost. Coach Bill Cower, Tennessee coach.
[13:52]
D
Yeah, yeah, you heard that.
[13:53]
C
But you keep referencing 9 game sec because literally everybody is. Yeah, I'm pretty confident that Tennessee's got the offensive line to play at a high level this year. But they're going to need that defensive line. They've got talent. It's. It's hurt because Chaz Coleman's not there.
[14:10]
A
Right.
[14:11]
C
Confidence level in that defensive line that they could hold their end of the bargain in a nine game sec.
[14:16]
A
We mentioned there's talent there. There's former five stars there in Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley and Davin Hobbs. Hobbs has been productive. He just hasn't been able to stay healthy. So he starts day one alongside Xavier Gilliam, the Penn State transfer in there who. Who probably was their best defensive lineman in the spring. So I think there's their first four going to be pretty good. The question is will they go with two defensive ends. Weathers be as the next guy up at a strong side. Defensive end Marion Dot, another highly rated guy. Do they start two defensive ends or defensive end and a Leo since they're very short at those Leos now, it could be Jordan Norman who the two lane transfer had an outstanding spring as well. But they're very young after that. Another thing, another option is they're so deep at linebacker. Do you use some of those guys in some downs where you need that edge pass rush? Carter can do it, T Lander can do it, Spillman can do it. And so my confidence in the players in the D line comes from Jim Knowles. The more I study tape of his past defenses, the more impressed I am, the more he can manufacture pass rush and confuse quarterbacks. And it only takes a split second of indecision to, to impact a quarterback. And that indecision can either lead to a sack or an errant throw. Things like that. And you're getting off the field. So many things are so different with Knowles defense post snap as opposed to what he's showing them pre snap and then just being creative at three safety look and moving guys around. So I think he's going to generate pass rush. And even if there isn't a, you know, 10 to 12 sack guy, sort of that closure that NFL teams have with a newly pass rusher, I think they will wreak havoc, a lot of it because of Knowles schemes. Even though they don't have Ohio State talent like he had a couple of years ago. But you know, maybe that'll change in recruiting scene.
[16:19]
D
It was easy. Knowles, those stole some of the, the I guess the headlines. But tell me about Derek coming in strength and conditioning. I, I heard there there's already been some immediate improvement on. Is it speed? We're getting a little bit faster over there. Is there anything that you've seen coming from this new strength and conditioning coach?
[16:39]
A
I mean all those guys passed the eye test. The numbers are there in terms of fat percentage lost in muscle gain. They put out a lot of steps. Can you imagine the work Derek? Ow this group here of all the credentialed media, my goodness, that'd be something. Get one of them GPS things put on me.
[17:01]
C
He said this must not be charged.
[17:03]
A
What's going on here, you know. Yeah, the bragging about all the people running 21 miles per hour faster that comes to an end here. The media days. But, but no, all those things, you know, the speed, the strength, the muscle gain, the fat lost, all those kind of things. And he is. You can see the eye test and you hear about it from the players too. Like even desean Bishop, you guys saw in the Adidas rollout that they did. I mean they put that guy there. Every time we see him, he's just exploding more with muscle on top of muscle. And I'm sure he wants to be in the. In the game for those short yardage situations. They haven't been that great in those. And in the red zone.
[17:47]
C
So.
[17:48]
A
Yeah, that's. That's the line of scrimmage. That's where they'll benefit there the most is from the strength and conditioning and then being able to finish off games in the fourth quarter, finish off drives, even.
[17:58]
D
Yeah.
[17:58]
A
You know, and this team doesn't do the tempo that it used to, so you better be able to move people when they know what's coming as opposed to with that tempo. They're gas. They don't know what's coming. They're out of position. Now you kind of have to a little bit more line up and just beat people. So you better. You better be strong and in shape.
[18:19]
C
All right, Vince, thank you so much for joining us. Last thing for you.
[18:22]
A
Yeah.
[18:23]
C
All our media days coverage is brought to you by Tennessee legend whiskey.
[18:26]
A
Yeah.
[18:27]
C
The best whiskey you can get in Tennessee.
[18:29]
D
Oh, yeah.
[18:29]
C
So we're asking everybody for their Tennessee legend boldest take entering the SEC season. Could be Tennessee, could be anything. SEC related. You have a bold take for us.
[18:40]
A
I will. I will go with Ole Miss making not only the College Football Playoff, but winning a game in the playoff. I think they're being undervalued so by a lot of the preseason prognostication.
[18:55]
C
I love it. All right, Vince, before you go, tell our audience how to follow you and how to find the show.
[18:59]
A
Yeah, I appreciate it. 99.1 the sports animal. It's advent sports on social media. John Wilkerson, the longtime voice of Tennessee baseball, he's my co host, 6 to 9am Eastern. So just go to 991, the sportsanimal.com find the podcast there. Anywhere you get your podcast, subscribe to Sports Talk. You can get us there. And then I have a ton of quotes to a lot of different Tennessee angles on talking to other players and coaches around the league. So, yeah, we've been here four days and Tennessee was Monday. We did a lot more. So Vin Sports on all the socials. Give me a follow and always appreciate the opportunity.
[19:33]
C
Guys, thank you so much.
[19:35]
A
Thank you.

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: "Vince Ferrara: Why Tennessee's Future is Bright under Josh Heupel"

Podcast: That SEC Football Podcast
Host: Michael Bratton (SEC Mike), Cousin Shane
Guest: Vince Ferrara (99.1 The Sports Animal)
Date: August 7, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded during SEC Media Days, features guest Vince Ferrara discussing why the Tennessee Volunteers have an optimistic outlook under Head Coach Josh Heupel. The conversation dives deep into 2026 season expectations, key roster moves, team culture, staff changes, and player development, all underscoring why Ferrara and the hosts believe Tennessee's football future is bright. There's an emphasis on recruiting wins, the impact of new coaching hires, and the heightened expectations facing the program this year.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Josh Heupel’s Evolving Confidence and Personality

Heupel has become more comfortable and outwardly confident, displaying humor and confidence at Media Days.
- [01:34] Vince Ferrara: “Josh Heupel having jokes. You could make a list of people that would have jokes and he would not be very high on the list of coaches that would have jokes... So yeah, he was feeling good and seemingly pretty confident about his team.”
Heupel took playful jabs at Lane Kiffin and Texas, reflecting Tennessee’s swagger and optimism heading into the season.

2. The Significance of the David Gabriel George “DGG” Commitment

The commitment of 5-star running back DGG is considered a “massive” needle-mover for Tennessee.
- [03:17] Vince Ferrara: “He is a generational talent... Kevin Simon... said he cannot remember a better high school running back that he's seen and he's seen the Derek Henrys and the Reggie Bushes and all that.”
DGG would have had less impact at a program like Ohio State, which already has depth at running back, but for Tennessee, it's transformative.

3. Playoff Expectations and Quarterback Battle

The hosts predict playoff potential if Tennessee goes at least 10-2.
Ferrara stresses the importance of the quarterback (QB) decision—there’s a close competition between Faison Brandon and George McIntyre.
- [05:41] Vince Ferrara: “It's two other letters. It's Q and it's B. And that, that has to be really good for them to get 10 and 2… I would say. And the most likely is Faison Brandon... He's got the higher ceiling. No doubt about that. I think he's going to be a star.”
Brandon is described as the most prepared high school QB Tennessee has had in years, though it’s “unfair” to expect him to be great immediately.

4. QB Competition Dynamics

The competition is viewed as a battle of strengths, not a sign of uncertainty.
- [08:20] Vince Ferrara: “I think that there's a little bit of, of pause with George McIntyre... they maybe see Faison Brandon as opening up a few more doors for them to be able to go in and pull some plays.”
There’s a hope the decision gets “settled on the field,” though Heupel has tended to resolve position battles in practice.

5. Program Expectations and Heupel’s Job Security

Despite some fan anxiety, neither Ferrara nor the hosts see Josh Heupel as actually being on the “hot seat” internally.
- [09:41] Vince Ferrara: “I don't know that the hot seat discussion is as warranted as maybe some fans think it is... I don't think it's as hot for [administration] as it is for some fans.”
Tennessee’s administration has made resource investments—new DC Jim Knowles, new strength coach Derrick Owings, upgraded roster through recruiting and NIL.

6. Coaching/Staff Overhauls and Impact

Heupel’s willingness to make tough staff changes, especially hiring Knowles as DC, is highlighted as a major growth point.
- [10:37] Vince Ferrara: “He deserves credit... in changing his DC... That's not a comfort level thing. That's not something he has done is make staff changes. So that was a hard decision for him.”
The move addressed lingering defensive problems that came to a head in the embarrassing loss to Vanderbilt.

7. Adjusting to Modern College Football: GM Role and NIL

Tennessee hasn’t appointed a single, front-facing “GM” figure (like Jim Nagy), but shares those duties behind the scenes.
Athletic Director Danny White is proactively preparing the staff for NIL/transfer portal realities.
- [12:38] Vince Ferrara: “They did a coach's retreat... including Bill Polian... looking at it more NFL style... They are putting in the work on it and adjusting to it.”

8. Roster Talent and Defensive Assessment

Defensive line is talented, but depth/youth are challenges; faith is placed in Jim Knowles’ ability to create pressure with creative schemes.
- [14:16] Vince Ferrara: “My confidence in the players in the D line comes from Jim Knowles. The more I study tape of his past defenses, the more impressed I am, the more he can manufacture pass rush and confuse quarterbacks.”
Linebackers are deep enough to help with edge rush situations if DL depth is tested.

9. Strength and Conditioning Upgrade

New strength coach, Derrick Owings, is credited for visible improvements in speed, muscle, and body composition across the roster.
- [16:39] Vince Ferrara: “… the numbers are there in terms of fat percentage lost in muscle gain. They put out a lot of steps. Can you imagine the work Derrick? ... the speed, the strength, the muscle gain, the fat lost, all those kind of things. And you can see the eye test and you hear about it from the players too.”
Team is better built to finish in fourth quarters and maintain physicality in SEC play.

10. Overall Bold Prediction

Ferrara’s bold SEC take: Ole Miss will not only make the playoff but win a game once there.
- [18:40] Vince Ferrara: “I will go with Ole Miss making not only the College Football Playoff, but winning a game in the playoff. I think they're being undervalued so by a lot of the preseason prognostication.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

[01:34; Vince Ferrara]: “Josh Heupel having jokes... he was feeling good and seemingly pretty confident about his team.”
[03:17; Vince Ferrara]: “He is a generational talent... Kevin Simon... cannot remember a better high school running back he’s seen and he’s seen the Derek Henrys and the Reggie Bushes and all that.”
[05:41; Vince Ferrara]: “It’s two other letters. It’s Q and it’s B... I think [Faison Brandon] is going to be a star.”
[10:37; Vince Ferrara]: “That’s not a comfort level thing. That's not something he has done is make staff changes. So that was a hard decision for him...”
[12:38; Vince Ferrara]: “They are putting in the work on it and adjusting... just don’t have that front person right now.”
[14:16; Vince Ferrara]: “The more I study tape of [Jim Knowles’] past defenses, the more impressed I am, the more he can manufacture pass rush and confuse quarterbacks.”
[16:39; Vince Ferrara]: “The numbers are there in terms of fat percentage lost and muscle gain... the eye test... you hear about it from the players too.”
[18:40; Vince Ferrara]: “I will go with Ole Miss making not only the College Football Playoff, but winning a game in the playoff.”

Key Timestamps

01:34 — Heupel’s newfound confidence and media day jokes
03:17 — DGG’s significance and recruiting evaluations
05:41 — Playoff hopes dependent on the QB position
08:20 — QB competition analysis: Faison Brandon vs. George McIntyre
09:41 — Heupel’s job security and administration commitment
10:37 — Coaching changes and staff investment
12:38 — Behind-the-scenes GM/NIL adaptation and Bill Polian’s involvement
14:16 — Defensive line assessment with new DC Jim Knowles
16:39 — Impact of Derrick Owings on strength and conditioning
18:40 — Vince Ferrara’s “Tennessee Legend” bold SEC prediction

Tone and Style

The conversation is energetic, knowledgeable, and optimistic, with humorous moments and authentic fan perspectives. Vince Ferrara provides insider insights, while the hosts offer passionate, sometimes playful commentary that reflects the high stakes and high hopes of Tennessee football.

This episode provides a comprehensive outlook on Tennessee’s direction under Josh Heupel, highlighting upgrades in talent, coaching, and program infrastructure. It’s a must-listen for Vols fans and SEC followers interested in how power programs are evolving in the modern era of college football.

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Transcript56 lines

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[01:05]
C
Okay. We're here at SEC Media Days with Vince Farrar, Sports animal Man, it's a, it's a pleasure having you on for the first time. We've been such fans of yours for a long, long time being from east Tennessee, so just it's almost surreal for us to sit with you.
[01:20]
A
No, I appreciate it. Enjoy your work. You guys put out great content and we're talking about appearances on other shows and things like that and you guys do it well. So great to be on with you.
[01:30]
C
Thanks. So what was a major takeaway from Tennessee's Media Days for you?
[01:35]
A
Well, Josh Hypo having jokes. Yeah. You could make a list of people that would have jokes and he would not be very high on the list of coaches that would have jokes, but not that many of them would but you know, the kiffins of the world and things like that. So yeah, he was feeling good and seemingly pretty confident about his team. So when he's taking jabs at Lane Kiffin about stocking mustard bottles and grocery stores and golf balls and sporting good storage, you know, he's feeling good. So I think that was good. And, and apparently Lane Kiffin not going to respond because he's allegedly shut down his social media thanks to his sons, Knox. So I thought for sure because I, I did a, a one on one for our afternoon show with him at the end of his day on Monday and I said, you know, Kiffin is going to reply to you. He's like, yeah, I haven't checked my phone. He probably already has. But apparently not so that's good, but maybe it'll come back up when. And then another one was taking a little jab at Texas too, when they come to, to Knoxville. And he said, oh, you mean when the real UT host the other ut. So you know, it. That, that was kind of a little bit different side from Hypo. But we knew all the players, we talked to them all the time. We knew all of them would just come across beautifully. Yeah. You know, they all have really good stories. All great representatives talk awesome about Tennessee. So it wasn't surprised that those guys were, were very, very good on the stage.
[03:05]
D
Yeah, I try to. You always try to read into it like, man, coach had a lot of swagger. And then I'm starting to think, was that because he's happy or because he heard about DGG or. How big is that for us, huh?
[03:17]
A
Oh, it's. It's massive. And Ron Slay from Nashville, he tried to, to bait, you hear?
[03:25]
D
Yes.
[03:26]
A
And that's, that's as honestly as flustered as I've seen Coach Hypo. And then he, like, he didn't know what to say. You want to get in trouble? So I'm not sure if he knew at that point or not because that was before the announcement yesterday. But it's huge. And it's much more of a needle mover for Tennessee than it would have been for Ohio State. Right. They got plenty of five stars. They have running backs, they have all that. Look at Tennessee potentially for next year. It's not like they're not short of five stars because they do, you know, multiple at wide receiver and TK Keys and Mike Matthews, quarterback and Faison Brandon left tackle and David Sanders Jr. You could even count Gabriel Senda, who on one service is a five star. That's a lot of five star talent next year if everybody's there in play. So, yeah, it was, it was massive. He is a generational talent. One of, one of the guys, a former player for Tennessee. You guys probably know Kevin Simon. Yeah, he does a lot on our station. And he fills in on the morning show for, for John sometimes. And he was breaking down David Gabriel. It's George, by the way. Apparently. So we lost the S on dgg, so these things always change with pronunciations. But he broke down his game. He said he is a guy that just last year started initiating contact and kind of lowering his shoulder through contact because he'd just be so used to just running around guys or easily through guys without initiating that contact. And he said he slows his feet down when he, he gets contact. He said when he improves that it's going to take him to another level. So he's not even like a finished product yet. So he was so excited and he, Kevin's been an NFL scout, you know, coach on the college level. Tennessee. He said he cannot remember a better high school running back that he's seen and he's seen the Derek Hendries and the Reggie Bushes and all that. So he is out of this world on dgg. So massive pickup.
[05:28]
C
So I've got Tennessee making the playoff this year.
[05:30]
A
Nice.
[05:31]
C
And I think ideally that that would mean they'd have to be at least 10 and 2. What happens for Tennessee to get there? Like what unknowns have to be answered in your mind for Tennessee to make the playoff?
[05:42]
A
Yeah, DGG being eligible this year. That's not going to happen. No, it's, it's two other letters. It's Q and it's B. And that, that has to be really good for them to get 10 and 2. I know a couple of years ago they made the playoff with Dylan Sampson having a record year for Tennessee running back and then a top level defense with a nine game SEC schedule. I don't think that recipe gets you in this time. Yes, they have four games against teams that don't have very high expectations this year. Let's balance out with the four top tennis teams that they play, three of them at home. No real gauntlets. So yeah, it. But it's still nine SEC games so I don't think they can use that. They have to be better at the quarterback position than they were a couple of years ago than they. When they made it. So yes, I would say. And the most likely is Faison Brandon. Interesting. I got in a question of Arch Manning in the electronic room and he said he spent some time this summer with George McIntyre so didn't get into super detail because he was a little bit short with his answers. But he said he'd never been to Neyland Stadium before. He's excited about that game. And, and so yeah, see he sounded very positive about McIntyre. You know it when, when those two being so close in the quarterback race, you expected a little bit more of a separation for a guy that's had a year in the system. And because it's not, I thought that Faison Brandon had the better spring out of the two. And that's not just a spring game. That was kind of practices all throughout. Not a massive difference, but better. And he's got the higher ceiling. No Doubt about that. I think he's going to be a star. I think he's the most prepared high school quarterback that Tennessee has had in many, many years, and that's both mentally and physically in terms of a total package. But does that mean that he starts game one? He's going to be great out of the gate. Man, if you put that guy out there, fans are going to expect it regardless of what the, if it says fr, you know, period, next to his name on the roster. So it's going to be unfair either, either way in terms of those expectations. But he, they have a chance to do some special things if that guy is special out of the gate.
[08:03]
D
When I always hear competition, quarterback competition especially, I always hear either A, two guys are really pushing each other and there's just not that separation, or B, coach is afraid of which one to give the keys to. So if, if you were looking at this competition, which side of that spectrum you think we're on?
[08:21]
A
Well, he's going to say that they're making each other better, right? I, I, I think that there's a little bit of, of pause with George McIntyre. I'm not saying that, that he can't do everything or function the offense. I just wonder if there's some limitation in what they can do. And they maybe see Faison, Brandon as opening up a few more doors for them to be able to go in and pull some plays and do some things. And one of those could be the run game with the design runs that we haven't seen enough of from Tennessee's quarterback since Endon Hooker that's kind of been sort of dabbled out there, but not enough of it. And I think ideally they get that kind of playmaking from their quarterback and I think they have a better chance to do that with Faison. Brandon, how good is he right out of the gate? I would love to see them settle it on the field as opposed to practices, but we really haven't seen Josh Hyple do that yet, so kind of not going to hold my breath waiting for that.
[09:25]
D
And you know how we're always, well, next year is our year. You look, hey, Faison catches fire. We got DGG coming in. We got keys out here. We got a real young, talented team to build around.
[09:36]
A
You got, you got expectations here through the roof. You kidding me?
[09:42]
B
Already.
[09:42]
A
Already are. Although there's still some people that have some hesitation on Josh Hypo being the one. Well, I, I don't know that the hot seat discussion is as warranted as maybe some Some fans think it is or as legit. I don't think Danny White and, and those inside the walls can't speak for every donor but I don't think it's as hot for them as it is for some fans are just kind of frustrated.
[10:09]
C
Yeah. But we've talked with others. Every coach is on the hot seat if you don't get, if you don't get the wins.
[10:16]
A
Right.
[10:16]
C
So I, I firmly believe they are showcasing this offseason their commitment to Josh Hyple with Jim Knowles with the new strength coach now DGG and many you mentioned all the talent on the roster. So he's got to deliver. But it's, it's fair to say that I think he's got the pieces to succeed. But would you also agree that they are doing everything they can to help him succeed?
[10:37]
A
There's no doubt. I think he deserves credit too because some of those moves that he made in the offseason, specifically in changing his DC and Tim Banks who was here from the jump with him, that's not a comfort level thing. That's not something he has done is make staff changes. So that was a hard decision for him to make. They've had really good defenses prior to last year's bottom out. They had some really good ranked defenses but I, I think it did have a little bit of staleness to it. They couldn't tackle very predictable. Talk to NFL people and they're like yeah, people offenses knew what Tennessee was doing defensively. That will change with Jim Knowles. So for the fact that that Vanderbilt game ended the way it did and you being punched in the face on your home field by Vanderbilt, someone that people absolutely will refuse to accept you losing to them no matter what their record is or what New Mexico State transfer is their quarterback or where the venue is, fans will not accept that. So they took that to heart that hey there's some urgency to this situation. We're not just going to ride out seven, eight win seasons. So I give them credit then obviously paying up kind of to your point of giving them the resources paying up to get Jim Knowles paying up to get Derrick Owings from Indiana coming off his national championship. He was in the facility early the next morning helping get things started for Tennessee with strength and conditioning and it seems like it's already paying off and they need that at the line of scrimmage and then those fourth quarters to be able to finish out games.
[12:15]
D
Well, I wanted questions that keep that I've heard a couple of times when we brought up Tennessee, we Had Jim Nagy here running around with. With the Sooners.
[12:24]
C
Is.
[12:24]
D
Has there ever been a conversation about something like that or is there a combination of people already doing that there in Knoxville?
[12:32]
A
Like the GM role. Yeah. They just haven't put a marquee person.
[12:38]
D
Yeah.
[12:38]
A
In that role to sort of be the face of the. Of football and Jim Nagy so incredibly knowledgeable and those that kind of want to pass that off. I get it. But no, they, they have people that do it. It's just more behind the scenes and it's shared as opposed to one front person. Just a different philosophy to do a bit same thing. I mean, you know, to. In terms of the commitment. The money is there. They're not. They're not trying to be the biggest spender, not trying to be Miami, but they work. All work at it. In fact, Danny White told us on our morning show that they did a coach's retreat where the big topic of conversation was adjusting to today's landscape and being real about changing their philosophy and approach and looking at it more NFL style. They had a couple of guest speakers in including Bill Polian there to. To talk to all of Tennessee's coaches about this new world of college athletics and then how you handle your nil budget. And so they are putting in the work on it and adjusting to it. They just don't have that front person right now.
[13:49]
C
Oh, almost. Coach Bill Cower, Tennessee coach.
[13:52]
D
Yeah, yeah, you heard that.
[13:53]
C
But you keep referencing 9 game sec because literally everybody is. Yeah, I'm pretty confident that Tennessee's got the offensive line to play at a high level this year. But they're going to need that defensive line. They've got talent. It's. It's hurt because Chaz Coleman's not there.
[14:10]
A
Right.
[14:11]
C
Confidence level in that defensive line that they could hold their end of the bargain in a nine game sec.
[14:16]
A
We mentioned there's talent there. There's former five stars there in Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley and Davin Hobbs. Hobbs has been productive. He just hasn't been able to stay healthy. So he starts day one alongside Xavier Gilliam, the Penn State transfer in there who. Who probably was their best defensive lineman in the spring. So I think there's their first four going to be pretty good. The question is will they go with two defensive ends. Weathers be as the next guy up at a strong side. Defensive end Marion Dot, another highly rated guy. Do they start two defensive ends or defensive end and a Leo since they're very short at those Leos now, it could be Jordan Norman who the two lane transfer had an outstanding spring as well. But they're very young after that. Another thing, another option is they're so deep at linebacker. Do you use some of those guys in some downs where you need that edge pass rush? Carter can do it, T Lander can do it, Spillman can do it. And so my confidence in the players in the D line comes from Jim Knowles. The more I study tape of his past defenses, the more impressed I am, the more he can manufacture pass rush and confuse quarterbacks. And it only takes a split second of indecision to, to impact a quarterback. And that indecision can either lead to a sack or an errant throw. Things like that. And you're getting off the field. So many things are so different with Knowles defense post snap as opposed to what he's showing them pre snap and then just being creative at three safety look and moving guys around. So I think he's going to generate pass rush. And even if there isn't a, you know, 10 to 12 sack guy, sort of that closure that NFL teams have with a newly pass rusher, I think they will wreak havoc, a lot of it because of Knowles schemes. Even though they don't have Ohio State talent like he had a couple of years ago. But you know, maybe that'll change in recruiting scene.
[16:19]
D
It was easy. Knowles, those stole some of the, the I guess the headlines. But tell me about Derek coming in strength and conditioning. I, I heard there there's already been some immediate improvement on. Is it speed? We're getting a little bit faster over there. Is there anything that you've seen coming from this new strength and conditioning coach?
[16:39]
A
I mean all those guys passed the eye test. The numbers are there in terms of fat percentage lost in muscle gain. They put out a lot of steps. Can you imagine the work Derek? Ow this group here of all the credentialed media, my goodness, that'd be something. Get one of them GPS things put on me.
[17:01]
C
He said this must not be charged.
[17:03]
A
What's going on here, you know. Yeah, the bragging about all the people running 21 miles per hour faster that comes to an end here. The media days. But, but no, all those things, you know, the speed, the strength, the muscle gain, the fat lost, all those kind of things. And he is. You can see the eye test and you hear about it from the players too. Like even desean Bishop, you guys saw in the Adidas rollout that they did. I mean they put that guy there. Every time we see him, he's just exploding more with muscle on top of muscle. And I'm sure he wants to be in the. In the game for those short yardage situations. They haven't been that great in those. And in the red zone.
[17:47]
C
So.
[17:48]
A
Yeah, that's. That's the line of scrimmage. That's where they'll benefit there the most is from the strength and conditioning and then being able to finish off games in the fourth quarter, finish off drives, even.
[17:58]
D
Yeah.
[17:58]
A
You know, and this team doesn't do the tempo that it used to, so you better be able to move people when they know what's coming as opposed to with that tempo. They're gas. They don't know what's coming. They're out of position. Now you kind of have to a little bit more line up and just beat people. So you better. You better be strong and in shape.
[18:19]
C
All right, Vince, thank you so much for joining us. Last thing for you.
[18:22]
A
Yeah.
[18:23]
C
All our media days coverage is brought to you by Tennessee legend whiskey.
[18:26]
A
Yeah.
[18:27]
C
The best whiskey you can get in Tennessee.
[18:29]
D
Oh, yeah.
[18:29]
C
So we're asking everybody for their Tennessee legend boldest take entering the SEC season. Could be Tennessee, could be anything. SEC related. You have a bold take for us.
[18:40]
A
I will. I will go with Ole Miss making not only the College Football Playoff, but winning a game in the playoff. I think they're being undervalued so by a lot of the preseason prognostication.
[18:55]
C
I love it. All right, Vince, before you go, tell our audience how to follow you and how to find the show.
[18:59]
A
Yeah, I appreciate it. 99.1 the sports animal. It's advent sports on social media. John Wilkerson, the longtime voice of Tennessee baseball, he's my co host, 6 to 9am Eastern. So just go to 991, the sportsanimal.com find the podcast there. Anywhere you get your podcast, subscribe to Sports Talk. You can get us there. And then I have a ton of quotes to a lot of different Tennessee angles on talking to other players and coaches around the league. So, yeah, we've been here four days and Tennessee was Monday. We did a lot more. So Vin Sports on all the socials. Give me a follow and always appreciate the opportunity.
[19:33]
C
Guys, thank you so much.
[19:35]
A
Thank you.