Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel met with the local media on Tuesday afternoon a day before the Vols begin their fourth fall practice under the 46-year old head coach.
Heupel discussed his expectations for Nico Iamaleava this season, position battles at a number of spots and much more. Here’s everything Heupel said.
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Opening Statement
“Hope everybody had a great summer. Great to have everyone back. It’s time to go play ball. Excited to get to work with these guys. Great energy, synergy, success on our campus. You see that just over the last calendar year, what has transpired really in every sport. You look at facilities, what continues to be done here on campus. Not sure there’s ever been a better time to be a Vol.
“Really excited about what our staff and our players have done on the recruiting side of it, we just got done with another huge weekend. The success, the energy that surrounds our program and campus in the city of Knoxville. Huge part of it. Really proud of what we’ve done up until this point. But as this month goes, the dead (period), still a lot of recruiting opportunities for us as we get ready to kick off training camp here.
“Really proud of what this team has done throughout the course of summer, winning the third quarter, being intentional in the way they compete and work, change their bodies, grow as players. The connection that we have, excited to take that, what they did this summer with, with Coach (Kurt) Schmidt, our strength staff, and parlay that into who we are when we get to the field here tomorrow.
“So you look at it, we’re a month away from opening up the season. There’s a lot of work from coaches and players, who we are today when we get out on the field on Day 1 to where we need to be by the time that we open up the season. And for us, just our competitive makeup, our attention to the details, our growth from one play to the next, one day to the next. Really important as we go through the next month here and get ready for the opener.”
On if this is where he envisioned the Tennessee program entering his fourth season
“We’ve never set a ceiling on who and what we can be. I think that was a huge part of the buy-in from our players when we overtook the program. It’s been instrumental in us competing to be our best every single day with all the things that we inherited and had to navigate through. I am really proud of what we’ve done as a program, players and coaches together to navigate that space. When I first got here, I used the verbiage of speed bumps. There were speed bumps that we had to navigate. We’ve handled that in a really positive way. You look at the trajectory of where we’re going on all sides of it, couldn’t be more excited about where we have an opportunity to get to. We’re in a race to get there as fast as we can. We got to be diligent, intentional in the way that we compete every single day. But certainly those speed bumps that we inherited when we first got here, we’ve been able to navigate extremely well and really those aren’t a part of things that we got to be dealing with as we move forward.”
On where Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s humility comes from
“I think it’s been a big part of how the players have responded to him. A guy that came in here wanted to earn it, went to work every single day, has developed great relationships with guys (not only) on his side of the ball, but on the other side of the ball as well. And we’ll continue to grow as a leader. But how he works, how he competes coming out and earning it, his consistency in who he is every day inside the building has been a huge part of the trust, love, and belief that our players have in him.”
On how comfortable he would be if Tennessee backup QB Gaston Moore had to take snaps in a game
“I got great trust and belief in Gaston. He has great command and understanding of what we’re doing, the ability to operate within it. I’ll be able to answer that question better at the end of training camp. Everybody inside of our program’s got to go learn it, earn it, and take the role that they have when we get to end of training camp.”
On what this group of transfers and freshmen will bring to this Tennessee team
“Physical skillsets, length, athletic ability, ability to go make plays, skill guys, when the ball is in the air. Size, athleticism, ability to move people up front. Those guys, you guys have heard me say it throughout the course of the spring, all of your young players, but everybody inside your building has got an opportunity when we get on the field tomorrow to be a dramatically different player from where they were when they finished spring ball. And that happens through how intentional you are during the summer. Continue to grow in understanding, change your bodies, but then the understanding of our schemes as well. So we get out there tomorrow, expect us to be much further individually and collectively. And in particular, those new guys that showed up in January.”
On the importance of Tennessee recruiting the state of North Carolina
“It is important for us. It’s a border state. We continue or we believe, look at it, view it as a part of our footprint. We’re intentional in how we recruit that state. You look at our early signing classes, a guy like James Pearce that has come into this program grown and really develop himself as a player and as a person. Obviously the opportunity, or where he is projected. The state of North Carolina is really important to us and that’s how we recruit it. The opportunity that we have in Week 2 to be over there in front of them playing inside of that state is a real unique opportunity for us as a program as well.”
On Nico Iamaleava earning respect in the Tennessee locker room
“I really think that’s started from Day 1 and how he came into the building. Who he is and how he just interacts, develops relationships with your teammates. I think that’s really important. Hard to lead somebody if you don’t have a relationship with them. It’s a lot easier to have good conversations or tough conversations with somebody in a one-on-one or in a group setting when you have a relationship with him. So I think that’s been instrumental from the very beginning. And then just his growth and how he competes has been really important too. The players have great trust and confidence in in him because of those things. And then obviously the talent as well.”
On the one thing he wants to see from this Tennessee Football team during camp
“Play as hard as you can. Guys are going to make a bunch of mistakes. Don’t make the same mistake twice. Individually and us collectively, got a chance to climb really quickly if we do that. But then more than anything it’s learning how to play from snap to whistle, how hard you got to compete.”
On how important reps were in the Citrus Bowl for Tennessee running back Cam Seldon
“I like what they did in the spring. The opportunity for Cam, all of our young guys to play more meaningful snaps (in the bowl game) on offense or defense versus some of the roles that they had on special teams throughout the course of it, was really important for them to understand what the game looks and feels like. The deficiencies that they have, how they had to grow, for Cam, the running back position, there’s a couple guys there that missed spring ball. Their growth here during training camp will be really important for that position to be as strong as it needs to inside that room.”
On if he handles training camp differently with a veteran team compared to young team
“There’s no shortcuts to it. You can look at NFL training camp and and see the vets out there. You got to prepare yourself and be ready to play. We’re always looking at the loads of our players, the positions that you put your guys that have played a bunch of football in during some of the situational stuff that you go through, cycle through, during the course of training camp. So those are things that as a staff will monitor as we go through it. Feel really pretty good about the health of our players.
“Some of the guys that miss spring ball that have been in rehab and may have already gotten fully cleared during the course of the summer, (we) will be intentional just like we are with the entire roster. But really intentional with those guys as far as how we build them early in training camp and their volumes.”
On what gives him the most confidence about this Tennessee team entering the new season
“You rebuild your team every single year, it starts with just how connected they are. Their want and ability to be consistent in their competitive makeup, they’ve done a great job of that throughout the course of spring ball through the course of summer. But now you’re in the last phase of your offseason. Even though it’s preparation for the season, we got to go win every rep every day during the course of this training camp. So there’s a lot of growth that needs to take place during this time of year.”
On Tennessee’s process of finding a starting kicker and how he feels about that part of the special teams unit
“Just like every spot you learn it, earn it and go take a job. So throughout the course of training camp, there’ll be great competition really at every spot. But certainly our specialists are going to have to compete. That’s kickoff guy, extra points. It’s your punt team, it’s your snappers as well.”
On what Tennessee’s offense has to do to improve after taking a step back last season
“A lot of that was red zone, efficiency in the red zone, penalties in the red zone. We got to be better. We’ve been intentional in our work through that, throughout the course of spring ball. But we got to come back. We got t be a smarter team, be more efficient and effective in in that area.”
On transfer tackle Lance Heard’s transition to this Tennessee offense
“Lance did a great job during the course of spring ball. I thought he really grew throughout the course of it, just fundamentals technique. He’s a really young player, got a great ceiling in front of him. Looking forward to seeing him during the courses of training camp.”
On the health status of Tennessee running back Cam Seldon
“Cam’s done a great job during the rehab process. He works extremely hard. He’s on pace right now. As we go throughout training camp, his ability to be a part of everything that we’re doing will increase from the beginning to the end of training camp and hope to have him healthy early in the season.”
On why he considers this group of Tennessee wide receivers to be the deepest one he’s had
“Well, just pure numbers. We got here and there’s some things that we had to navigate with our scholarships on our roster. Recruiting bigs. They’re going to take a little bit more time to develop potentially. You end up being a little bit short at some skill spots. Wide receivers has been one of those. We’re the deepest that we’ve been on a roster, a number of scholarship players, but the then the playmaking ability of those guys, some of those young guys being in our program multiple years, got a lot of trust in those guys. Can’t wait to see it when we get to training camp, but guys that have a great understanding of what we’re doing offensively also have the ability to make plays and go up and attack the football and be consistent winners.”
On the confidence it gives him knowing he has James Pearce rushing the passer
“Yeah, James, great playmaker. You guys saw that throughout the course of last year. His growth from his freshman to second year being here, love what he has done during the course of this off season. (He) has the ability to affect the football game with his skillset. The growth and development of the guys around him is going to be extremely important. If you’ve just got one up there thats got a chance to chip, slide, max protect and try to limit that guy’s ability to affect the game. So James’s development (is) really important.
“There’s things that inside of his game he’s been intentional on trying to grow in. Looking forward to training camp with him, but then the continued growth of the guys around him as well.”
On the health of Tennessee’s athletic department
“When it’s going good on a college campus, it’s going good — 365 days out of the year, your logos in front of the entire country. You have great game-day environments to take your recruits to. So the success that we had in baseball, basketball, all of that helps us on the recruiting side of it for sure.”
On the rule changes allowing quality control coaches to coach on the field and other assistants being able to go on the road and recruit
“Those are things that we’ll work through before we get out on the road. But for your quality controls to be a part of your practice, be able to put their eyes on somebody, instant feedback, the breaking up of some of your drills, to be able to be more intentional with a position group, just gives you more flexibility and freedom. And more guys that are making an impact on your players.”
On what he has seen from Tennessee’s tight ends
“Yeah, a lot of new faces. Young faces and Ethan Davis, just a guy that missed his senior year because of injury came in, got nicked up. So there wasn’t a lot of physical development with him before last fall. Dramatically different player, body right now than what you guys have seen. That’s another position that we’re deeper at than we have been since we got here. And for us, there’s great competition in that group. And they care about each other, they cheer each other on, but they compete extremely hard, too.
“Feel like they got a great understanding of what we’re doing offensively. That’s a position group, as young as they were in their first spring, this past spring with some of the transfers and Ethan being young, I feel like through the course of summer they’ve really grown and gained confidence and comfort in what we’re doing. Looking forward to seeing that as we go through training camp.”
On Nico Iamaleava’s command of the Tennessee offense
“I thought during the bowl game, for him to take it from the practice field to the game, for the game really to slow down for him during the course of the game, he had great command during that. I think that speaks volume about him as a player and understanding what we’re doing. He’s been very urgent, worked hard, understanding what we’re doing offensively, defensive schemes, the ability to control everything from the run game to protections to checks that we have inside of our offense.
“He’s got a great understanding of that. He’s a young player. He is got one start underneath him. We expect him to play at a really high level right from the jump, but there’s going to be a growth in maturation for him as a player inside of what we’re doing as well.”
On his thoughts on possibly going to 105 scholarship players in the future
“Yeah, there’s been a lot of things that have happened, transpired late in the summer. From rules to what you just talked about. For us, personnel, myself and our staff being able to work through and navigate where the best spot for us to end at as far as the 105, that would be different than what we currently carry, to how we operate as an athletic department as well are all things that we’re working through.”
On what has been the key to Tennessee’s roster management
“I think it starts with the athletic department, the administration being able to have a good idea of where we think things may have landed early in the process to be able to take and swallow up some of those numbers. Initially being smart and having a plan for the current year, but where we need to be in a year or two as well. And then you look at what we’ve been able to do on the recruiting side of it, from personnel to our coaches, and at the end of the day then the brand continuing to get stronger. What our success has been out on the road. So you put all that together that’s allowed us to continue to build the roster that we need to go in.”
On if he has seen this class of freshmen settle in
“The guys that came in in January, we got eight or nine that showed up in June as well, this is the most mature group of newcomers, that’s transfers and high school kids. Certainly the most mature group of high school kids that we’ve had inside of our program. I think that stems from us being intentional further along in the recruiting process as coaches, recruiting to our culture, knowing what we’re bringing in. I think it also stems from the leadership inside of our locker room, being able to grab those guys and make sure they understand the standards of what it means to be a Tennessee football player.”
