"I think they are underrated: CFB analyst Josh Pate makes bold prediction about Tennessee as a 'big time sleeper in the SEC'
The Tennessee Veolunteers spent most of the 2023 season flying under the radar. After a 2022 season where they were seen as the best team in the country and potential national championship, this performance was seen as a step in the wrong direction.
However, college football analyst Josh Pate believes that the Volunteers will be a proverbial dark horse to do well in the SEC next season.
"Tennessee. Big time sleeper team. The quarterback is gonna be a star. I love the moves they've made in the WR room. I think they're underrated both talent wise and coaching staff defensively. ... They could be in a situation where they can afford to lose later in the year
All change at quarterback for the Volunteers
For the previous season, the Volunteers was quarterbacked by Joe Milton, with Hendon Hooker playing the position during the successful 2022 season.
Both quarterbacks had some success with Tennessee and took control and used the offense to their advantage. However, Milton and Hooker are no longer at Tennessee, having got drafted to the NFL by the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions, respectively.
The Tennessee QB room in 2024 will mostly be made of freshman, but an experienced quarterback will take the reins for 2024.
Nico Iamaleava was a five-star prospect quarterback coming out of the state of California when he committed to the Volunteers. He spent most of the 2023 season as backup to Joe Milton before leading the team to a convincing Citrus Bowl victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes. In this game, Iamaleava scored four touchdowns.
Iamaleava should carry on his form from the Citrus Bowl into the regular season. Around him will be a selection of talented recievers, including Squirrel White, Bru McCoy and Chris Brazzel II, who has transferred from Tulane.
In a SEC conference that has the likes of the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Ole Miss Rebels and now the Texas Longhorns, all with a large amount of talent on their roster, it's easy to forget teams like Tennessee. That makes them the perfect underdog for the SEC championship, but they will only succeed if their offense turns up to every game.
Josh Pate's sentiment is shared by another analyst
Josh Pate is not the only one to predict that the Tennessee Volunteers could be a dangerous team in 2024.
Fellow college football analyst Greg McElroy shares this sentiment and believes that whether Tennessee will be successful will be down to the performance of Nico Iamaleava.
"If their quarterback play skyrockets, they could be as dangerous a team as there is in the Southeastern Conference.”
The quarterback could make or break a team. In the past, we have seen weaker teams helped by a strong talented quarterback. Tennessee has strength in their recievers and defense. But, as McElroy put it, their quarterback has recently been their downfall.
“You can pin almost all of Tennessee’s inconsistencies on the passing game,”
Nico Iamaleava will need to not copy his predecessors but flourish on his own. If that happens, the Tennessee Volunteers could make a serious run for the SEC championship and potentially the national championship.
Do you think that Nico Iamaleava and the Tennessee Volunteers could be the SEC champions this season?