Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days 2024: 3 interesting things Tennessee HC said at Dallas event
New impacts were a selling point for Tennessee coach Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days 2024. After 20 wins in the past two seasons, Heupel has Tennessee football back to a level not seen in the past 20 years.
However, the Tennessee coach isn't planning to rest on his laurels. There were plenty of talking points from Heupel at SEC Media Days 2024, but here are three of the biggest.
3 interesting things said by Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days 2024
#1 Youth won't, or can't be a problem
Tennessee is adding a significant amount of young talent, much of it untested. But that isn't a problem for Heupel.
"Our young guys can't be young when we get to the fall," Heupel commented. He praised the work ethic of his young standouts, admitting, "I can't wait to get into training camp."
Some of Heupel's most extensive praise was for redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Heupel noted how Iamaleavea had wished to be an early contributor and noted his leadership through the off-season run.
"I'm really excited to see his growth and development as a young quarterback this season."
#2 Staff shifts a plus
Not unusually, Tennessee had some staff shifts in the off-season. Those were a significant topic for Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days 2024.
Tenessee brought in William Inge and De'Rail Sims this off-season. Sims is coaching running backs, where Heupel advised that Cameron Seldon and Peyton Lewis should be ready to go this fall.
Inge coaches linebackers and Heupel praised that side of the ball as "the most athletic defense" he's had at Tennessee. But the coaches might have even more impact than some of the standouts they're coaching.
"They quickly earned the trust of their meeting rooms," said Heupel. He also praised the staff's focus throughout his comments.
#3 The ceiling remains high
While Heupel is doubtlessly pleased about 27 wins in three years and 20 in the last two, he's clear that Tennessee hasn't yet arrived, per his measurements.
“End of the day, the standard at Tennessee is to win championships," admitted Heupel. "We’re in a race to get there as fast as we can."
Adding Oklahoma and Texas will, of course, only make the league more challenging.
"This is the best league in football," noted Heupel. "That's why you want to coach in it. That's why you want to play."
Accordingly, Heupel is taking nothing for granted in setting Tennessee's ceiling as high as possible.
"We’ve done a lot of great things in the last three years, last season included," said Heupel. "Proud of the steps that we’ve taken. But we got to continue to climb."
What comments from Josh Heupel at SEC Media Days 2024 surprised you? Share your thoughts on the Tennessee boss below in our comments section!