Omari Thomas adjusted his seat and smiled, clearly eager when asked why Tennessee hasn’t been mentioned among conference championship and College Football Playoff contenders at SEC Media Days. For him and the rest of the Vols, the 2024 season can’t come soon enough.
“Our team doesn’t need validation from anyone,” Thomas said, his diamond-encrusted “O” chain gleaming. “It’s just good to know we come together and have each other’s backs. We’re the ones pushing ourselves to win the national championship.”
Despite preseason projections favoring Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Ole Miss, LSU, and Missouri, only three of those schools have consecutive top-20 finishes like Josh Heupel’s program. The Vols bolstered their offensive line with former LSU tackle Lance Heard and strengthened their defense with key additions.
James Pearce Jr., college football’s leading edge rusher, returns alongside a veteran wide receiver group, providing plenty of support for Nico Iamaleava as he steps into the starting quarterback role for Tennessee.
Still, the Vols aren’t expected to be in the SEC’s elite tier by the end of the week in Dallas. Most media will likely favor Lane Kiffin’s star-studded roster at Ole Miss and the powerhouse teams like Georgia and Texas.
Linebacker Keenan Pili, who avoids social media and ignores preseason narratives, welcomes the lack of respect.
“I don’t care if we’re at the bottom. I kind of hope we’re the underdogs,” Pili told 247Sports. “I hope there’s no hype. We want to earn that every day. I think at the end of the day, that’ll help us on Saturdays, being the underdogs.”
Heupel has 20 wins over the last two seasons, with Tennessee controlling its playoff destiny in 2022 until losses to Georgia and South Carolina. Last fall, the Vols were 5-1 and nearing the top 10 before setbacks against Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri ended their conference title hopes.
With the 2024 season ahead, the Vols are focused on making their first playoff appearance in program history.
“We expect to be at the top of anything we do. Every week we go out there, we expect to win,” Tennessee offensive lineman Cooper Mays said.
Tennessee will be a national talking point if they can get through September unscathed, including wins over NC State and Oklahoma. According to the trio of veterans Heupel brought to SEC Media Days, that’s the plan.
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