Everything Tennessee Football HC Josh Heupel Said After First Bowl Practice

Josh Heupel met with reporters after the first bowl practice for Tennessee.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel high-fives children from East Tennessee Children's Hospital during warm-ups at a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 29, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As coaches and players were able to celebrate Christmas with family and friends, the day after went right back to business.

One day removed from Christmas Day and the Vols are back to prepping for the Music City Bowl as they will compete with Illinois in Nashville.

Tennessee football is making many adjustments on the fly as guys are transferring, and some are opting out and preparing for the NFL Draft. This is allowing for extra reps for a few of the young guys as they are preparing to take the next step next year.

Josh Heupel met with reporters following the first bowl practice.

Opening Statement

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

“It's great to see everybody. Great to be here in Nashville. I want to thank Montgomery Bell for hosting us here. Great practice facility for us during the course of the week. Guys had a great couple days off for Christmas. That’s staff too. Get a chance to be a dad and be with their families and excited to get back here and start competing and get ready for kickoff against a really good Illinois team," Heupel said.

Is Bowl Performance an Eval Opportunity

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Desean Bishop (18) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

“I think a lot of times in December you get a glimpse of where they’re continuing to grow. Last time we were here, Jalin Hyatt was a great example and that’s a story we actually talked to our team about pretty much every single year. One that I share with our young guys, the guy that had a little bit of up-and-down during the course of the season and his focus, his preparation, his work habits during the month of December, were dramatically different. Expected him to play really well when we got here. He obviously did and that was the springboard to his following season," Heupel explained.

Colton Hood Opting Out

Sep 27, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Colton Hood (8) runs with the ball after an interception against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

“We’ve been practicing that way through December with Colton leaning towards making that decision. Excited for him and his journey and what comes next. Some of our young guys are gonna get an opportunity to go play on game day and young guys have had good preparation and expect them to go play in a really, really good way," Heupel said.

Click HERE to watch and listen to everything that Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel had to say following bowl practice number one for the Vols.

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