Tennessee Needs to Answer These Questions During Fall Camp

The Tennessee Volunteers need to answer these questions during fall camp ahead of the 2024 college football season.

Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (89) does a touchdown celebration dance during Tennessee's Orange & White spring football game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

The Tennessee Volunteers need to answer these questions during fall camp ahead of the 2024 college football season.

Fall camp is starting up around college football which also means that college football is nearing its return once again. The Tennessee Volunteers are on the verge of what many expect to be an exciting season. Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is back on defense, former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava is slated to be the full-time starter for the first time in his career and the Volunteers have playoff potential this season. However, just like any team, there are some questions Tennessee needs to address before the start of the season.

Fall camp is the opportunity for programs to start getting back into the swing of things before the season starts but also to answer any remaining questions on the roster. Tennessee is no exception to this so here are three questions the Volunteers need to have answered before the start of the season:

1. Improvements in the Secondary?

Tennessee had a much improved defense in 2023 compared to what they were in 2022 but the secondary still had some issues. The Volunteers lost a lot of members in their secondary this offseason and it was a unit that ranked 64th in passing defense last season. The Volunteers took three transfers this past offseason to beef up the secondary as they brought in safety Jakobe Thomas from Middle Tennessee, Jermod McCoy from Oregon State and Jalen McMurray from Temple.

If Tennessee can show signs of improvement in the secondary in fall camp this year, pairing that up with a pass rush that consists of Pearce Jr. could be a recipe for a reliable defense in the conference. If not, it could be another season when the Volunteers have to rely on being a strong defense against the run and hope that offsets any questions in the secondary.

2. How Polished is Nico?

Fans got their first full look at Iamaleava during the Citrus Bowl at the end of the season last year and he was impressive. However, that's just one start, which means it's crucial to know how polished and ready he will be at the start of this season. The good news is that the Volunteers have an opening schedule that will allow them to ease their way into the season while also getting them prepared for the conference slate.

If Iamaleava is season-ready before week one even rolls around, that would be the case scenario. The quicker head coach Josh Heupel can have his offense ready and rolling this year, the better off his program will be as that is the focal point and identity of the Volunteers.

3. How Much of an Impact is Mike Matthews in Year One?

One of the biggest names in the 2024 recruiting class was Mike Matthews out of Parkview High School in the state of Georgia. He will be playing wide receiver for the Volunteers and he has the opportunity to be an impact player as a true freshman. The question is how much of an impact will he be?

Matthews showed his potential to be a vertical threat during Tennessee's spring game and if he can spark some explosiveness in this offense, it will make the Volunteers a very potent offense. They do return a lot of key pieces in the receiving room such as Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Dont'e Thornton Jr., but if Matthews asserts himself in that rotation early and often, it could be massive for the Volunteers.

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• Tennessee Vols Football Could Make Playoff According to CFB Data Model

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