Everything Josh Heupel Said On SEC Nation
SEC Media Days are currently at the center of the college football universe. The festivities began on Monday and continue barreling on. Thursday will be the event's final day, but it's also the most important for Tennessee fans. Head coach Josh Heupel, quarterback Joe Milton III, defensive lineman Omari Thomas, and tight end Jacob Warren are scheduled to meet with the media at 1:00 PM EST and talk all things Vols.
Heupel joined SEC Nation on Tuesday evening to preview the festivities. He covered various topics with the crew, ranging from the recent NCAA investigation to what he foresees from Milton this upcoming season. He seemed upbeat about where things are trending with Tennessee and had the usual enthusiasm that he's had since joining the program.
On Tennessee's future goals...
"It's really simple for us. At the end of the day, we want to play in championship games, and for us in 2023, that goes through the [SEC] East. There's a lot of work to be put in to get ourselves in a position to accomplish that, but I really love what our guys have done in the offseason and am looking forward to getting going with training camp here in about a week."
On what he's seen from starting QB Joe Milton III this offseason...
"Joe has been a guy that's worked tirelessly since he got here. It didn't turn out exactly the way that he wanted it to when it first started with Hendon taking the job, but Joe's been a great teammate from that point forward. He's had a great work ethic. He's become a great leader, and that's not just since January when he took the reigns before the bowl game. That's really been all of last year, and he's continued on that journey. He's a guy that cares deeply about the guys around him. He wants to perfect and continue to grow his craft. That comes in the way he moves inside the pocket - his balance, which plays into him being accurate with the football. I thought he made great strides during the course of spring football, and it also is showing me his understanding of defenses. I'm really proud of what he's done up until this point and can't wait to see him on training camp."
On how Milton can take advantage of running lanes...
"There are designed quarterback runs, which we implement at times situationally, that Joe has operated and been really effective in. Another step of his game from the end of the bowl game to where we've got to be when we kick off has to be him understanding the pocket, what's happening, what's the coverage downfield. To step up, escape the pocket, and create plays with his feet. That's going to be big throws down the field, but it's also going to be him using those feet to go pick up chunks of yards: it could be threes, fives, and tens, and they keep you ahead of the chains. That's got to be an area of growth for him, and I think he's taking steps in that."
On contrasting his early Tennessee tenure with the present day...
"We were hiring a staff in early February. We had close to 35 players that left our roster, and most of that was before we got here. That's in the era, too, where you couldn't just remove and replace a guy. We were limited to 25 signees during the course of that calendar year. That really handcuffed us as far as being able to replace our roster. That fall, I think we had 65 scholarship players. Most people, because of Covid seniors, were looking at close to 90-95 scholarship players. There were a lot of issues that we were dealing with. Obviously, the outside noise when we first took over wasn't very positive. In recruiting, a lot of people used the NCAA stuff against us. We're excited about where we're at, where we're going, and what we've been able to do in the first two years on the football field.
On his reaction to the NCAA not levying a bowl ban as part of the sanctions...
"Hats off to our leadership for finding out about the issues that were here in the program before our staff arrived: relaying that to the NCAA, investigating it, inviting them to campus to investigate it, working pretty quickly to come to a solution, and being transparent in the entire process affords us the opportunity to not have a postseason ban and not place innocent student-athletes and staff in a position where they don't have an opportunity to go compete and chase their dreams on the football field."
On what Oregon transfer WR Dont'e Thornton brings to the table...
"Dont'e is a special talent. Loved the way he's come in. He's been a great teammate and a great worker. He's got great length, a great frame, an unbelievable catch radius, and one of the highest GPS numbers as far as his on-field speed in all of college football that entered the transfer portal a year ago. He's electric but does a great job working the middle of the football field. A really natural pass catcher - we're really excited about having him. He's got the ability to play inside and outside as well, so we have some flexibility in the four guys that are being talked about."
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel during a game against South Alabama in Knoxville, Tennessee, on November 20, 2021. (Photo by Brianna Paciorka)
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