Tennessee Volunteers' Two Biggest Questions for This Season

The two biggest questions for Tennessee as they enter the 2024 college football season.

Teammates celebrate a touchdown by Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger (12) during Tennessee's Orange & White spring football game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2024. / Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA

The two biggest questions for Tennessee as they enter the 2024 college football season.

The 2024 college football season is a little over a month out from kicking off and before fall camp starts for every program across the nation, there are still some questions remaining on the board. The Tennessee Volunteers are on the verge of what is shaping up to be an exciting season with several keynote starters returning and the addition of Nico Iamaleava being tabbed as the new starting quarterback.

The Volunteers do however have their fair share of questions but some outweigh the rest of them. If Tennessee can get these two questions answered before the start of their conference slate this season, then they should be in a good position to make a run at a college football playoff in 2024.

1. Does Nico Iamaleava Get the Ball Rolling Early?

Tennessee has a favorable opening schedule to allow this to happen but any new starting quarterback experiences growing pains at some point in the season, especially in the SEC. If Iamaleava can work out all of the kinks before the team travels to Oklahoma, that would be the case scenario for the Volunteers.

Opening games against Chattanooga, NC State and Kent State provide an ideal start to the season. Two opponents for Iamaleava and the offense to get their feet wet and one opponent to really try and get some momentum rolling, that opponent being NC State. If Tennessee gets everything clicking consistently within the first three weeks of the season, their offense will be a handful for conference opponents to deal with which is what head coach Josh Heupel needs to have a successful season this year.

2. Can James Pearce Jr. and the Defensive Line Make up for Secondary Losses?

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. One of the best ways to make up for any shortcomings in the secondary is to get after the quarterback, and Tennessee should have the ability to do that this season. James Pearce Jr. doesn't have to be the one carrying the load there either. He will draw a lot of attention from offensive lines which should in return open up opportunities for other members of the front six to pressure the quarterback. If Tennessee accomplishes that, then any questions in the secondary are minimized.

Other Tennessee News:

• Tony Vitello Turnaround Nothing Short of Brilliant for Tennessee Baseball
• Jaylen Williams Cuts Recruitment to Four Schools
• Tennessee Vols Football Could Make Playoff According to CFB Data Model

Join the Community:

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @VolunteerCountry & follow us on Twitter at @VCountryFN.