thanel Sports Cent we go for our next team prediction of this off season and this could be for the Tennessee Vols the team that went nine and four overall in the 2023 season Not a Bad season for Tennessee it was kind of a step down in comparison to the year before looking forward to 20124 I really could see this team being the true SEC door course in this upcoming season this is a team that's got a lot of young talent definitely a lot of Promise looking forward to the future and why that is is what'll be talking about here today we'll be looking at the Players this team will be losing and returning and break their schedule top to bottom in this video so with that let's get started with a quick recap of 2023 once again the record Being N9 and4 I mean they took four losses in the regular season it wasn't quite as strong of a season in comparison to 2022 for sure took a loss to Florida in Gainesville in week three lost that game by 13 and I feel like we kind of knew at that point that this wasn't going to be quite as uh good of a season in comparison to the year before for sure but they still picked up some really nice wins uh blew out South Carolina beat T&M 20-3 lost Alabama by a couple of touchdowns that was in Tuscaloosa this year so obviously a little bit of a disappointing loss there but considering once again just the state of this team Joe Milton was a good quarterback not quite as on the same level as henen hooker the year before and this team in general was just a step down in comparison to 2022 although it wasn't a bad year for this team they still had some really nice wins they did take a couple of ugly losses down the stretch against missou and Georgia but then shut out Iowa 35 to nothing in the Citrus po I mean you consider the Hawks last season going up against an SEC a well balanced a well-rounded SEC opponent IA really didn't stand a chance especially being a team that really had no offense last season that was the hawkey their defense was good but their offense was almost non-existent for the second part of the season with that looking forward to 2020 24 with your roster preview Joe Milton is gone and it's on to Nico yamala looking forward to 2024 we saw himon the Bull game against Iowa you put up 150 yards a touchdown rushed for 27 yards and three touchdowns so I mean not a bad game there especially against a strong defensive team in Iowa and the vaults put up 35 points against an Iowa team with a strong defense in that game so I do think he's promising for sure we saw him primarily as a backup last season to Joe milon um we saw him in the Yukon game the vanderbild game a little bit against Virginia as well but not much uh so we'll get to see more of him 2024 he's a Young quarterback that I think is really promising uh especially with how young he is uh so I think the future is bright for this offense under yamala you look at the Back Field Jaylen Wright's gone Dylan Samson's coming back though I mean but Wright obviously was the primary start in this backfield with just over 1100 yards so it's going to be tough to replace him but Samson did have over 700 yards total offense eight touchdowns so I think the backfield will be okay you also lose Jabari small your returns squirrel white in the receiving core you lose Keon though same with Mallen castles but you do bring back Brew McCoy as well so I mean it's kind of what you'd expect out of a good team like Tennessee losing a few key players for sure but uh this team has also added a few key players from the transfer portal uh to replace some of their losses so overall as far as returning production goes I'm really not too concerned for Tennessee defensively though the main concern for me is in the defensive secondary losing five key players from there also losing two on the D line two linebackers so this defense definitely had a lot of turnover this off season but I still feel like this is a team that despite having some young Talent they're still built to have a pretty successful season in 2024 but with that looking at your transfer portal and recruiting now Holden stays is coming in from Notre Dame expect him to be a key tight end this season looks like he's going to be behind Ethan Davis in the tight end position but he's still going to be at least involved this upcoming season Chris Brazil coming in he's expected to be a starter coming in from Tain you also bring in Lance herd from LSU for the o line now you lose Elijah Elijah Herring linebacker off to Memphis same with McDonald in the secondary off to Louisville but you do bring in jmod McCoy from Morgan State expect him to be a starter same with jacobe Thomas coming in from Middle Tennessee you lose once again several key players from the secondary into off to different places so but you do bring bring in Jaylen McMurray from Temple so you're bringing in a few key players but this is also a team that's had a lot of turnover on the defense mentioned that already so that's something worth keeping an eye on recruiting wise 14th nationally eighth in the I mean that really that goes to show just how stacked of a conference the SEC is eth in the DC but still in the top 15 top 14 nationally so got two five star coming in 11 four stars I would say the future is still great for Tennessee uh despite Texas and Oklahoma coming in I think Texas is in a position where they could definitely win the conference in their first year it's really up to I'd say Georgia or Texas this upcoming season Alabama's going to be a background team for sure I think Tennessee's kind of in that conversation as well I feel like this is a team that can make some noise in the SEC but not quite be a team that can win it I mean Georgia and Texas are kind of In A League of Their Own I would say looking forward to 2024 Old Miss is there as well Tennessee Alabama I'd say are your top five for sure looking forward to 2024 it's going to be a competitive conference for sure especially with texes coming in uh that definitely adds to it as well but with that let's take a look at the schedule now looking forward to 2024 it's definitely a schedule that's got some challenges for sure cedan NOOA week one is um definitely outside of that that's a pretty easy week one game but then NC stay week two that is a sneaky team not to overlook there in week two I could see NC stay definitely being a big contender in the ACC wouldn't be surprised if they won it K State week three Oklahoma on the road week four and then Arkansas on the road after that then you got Florida Alabama Kentucky Mississippi State four straight home games here you're home for five straight weeks including the buy um and that's definitely a period where I think this team could pick up some real nice wins and then George on the road UTP at home bandbell on the road to finish out the season looking at the first month I do think he start the season 3 and one Chattanooga easy win same with Kent State I think NC State's kind of a closer one there neutral location I think NC State at least tangs in there but I do think Tennessee prevails in the end and then Oklahoma on the road Norman is a tough place to play late September I think goou is gonna be ready to go in that one first SEC match up I think for Oklahoma there so OU is going to be ready I do think that's a close game that could really go either way uh Tennessee might be the better team in that match up honestly U's definitely got a few question marks but I think that is one that Tennessee drops there in week four so your three and one going into the Arkansas game Razer backs really not expecting too much out of them uh but because it is a tougher place to play I would say a closer one there Florida Alabama Kentucky I do think he win all three of these definitely the Alabama game is the one that stands out there I mean you beat the Crimson tied two years ago what was an incredible game I still remember that one that honestly might be the most memorable game for me from that 2022 season I think you pull it off against the Crimson tit at home again Alabama next season is simply not the same team I mean my prediction for Alabama I do have them having a bit of a Down year and I do think Tennessee pulls off a really nice win there against the kson tight I still think Alabama is a good team in 2024 they just will not be at to same level that we're used to seeing them at especially with the new coaching staff and all the adjustments that they're having to make there so I think you go undefeated through October uh which is just three games with your buy being the last week but that puts you at 7 And1 going into the Mississippi State game I think you take care of the Bulldogs as well kind of a close game here as well I think all five of these in the middle of the season are closer games I think Florida's kind of a Down team Arkansas maybe Mississippi State as well but I still think those teams are at least competitive against Tennessee and despite the BS I think winning all of them George on the road though this is just going to be a different Georgia is just a different team looking forward to 2024 they I mean obviously didn't even make it to the colge ball playoff but I still I've said it I think if Georgia was in the top four they could have definitely beaten Michigan they could have beaten any of those four teams and won their third straight national championship um I wouldn't be surprised if they find their third and four years in 202 four Georgia's going to be stacked in 2024 do you think the Vols lose that one you that's kind of the one game that I'm confident that Tennessee loses this season I think otherwise lots of winnable games for Tennessee this upcoming season I mean your last two games you to have Banner built both easy wins there so got this team at 10- two in 2024 it is somewhat of a tough schedule I mean there are tougher schedules in the SEC for sure I mean Georgia's schedule in 2024 is definitely one of the most difficult that I've ever seen and I still got Georgia projected for 12 wins in the regular season which kind of gives you a view as to how good Georgia should be this upcoming season uh but 10 and two for Tennessee I think this would be a successful season if they got the 10 wins especially with the young Talent this team has I mean a couple years down the road if this team can retain their young Talent from this upcoming season Tennessee could be a real problem I think in a couple years they got the ceiling up 11 and one so I do think this team at least takes one loss at some point I just don't see this team going undefeated um with some of the young Talent they've got I think game four is the Florida though I really don't see this team being any worse than that um and got this team at 10 wins but once again 11 wins is very much I would say reasonable once again the Oklahoma game is um definitely a winnable one despite of being a loss uh but I will say this though I think 10 and two is going to be the record for Tennessee just a matter of what two games this team is going to lose I think they lose to Georgia for sure and that second loss could be Oklahoma could be maybe NC State or Alabama some upset somewhere in the season just a matter of who it could be but with that I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts in the comments below especially if you're a Tennessee fan what do you think of the upcoming season and I appreciate you guys watching as always my name is Evan the soul Sports Central stay tuned for more catch you on the next one