The Tennessee Vols surprised a lot of national analysts last year by finishing the 2021 season with the No. 7 ranked scoring offense in the country.

Improvement was expected under first-year Vols head coach Josh Heupel. But not many folks expected Tennessee to go from the No. 109 scoring offense in 2020 to one of the most prolific offenses in the nation in 2021.

I think that tells us all we need to know about Heupel as a head coach — he's an elite offensive mind who knows how to quickly install a highly-productive system with whatever situation he inherits.

Should UT fans expect more improvement in 2022 from the Volunteers?

The ingredients are certainly there.

According to ESPN, the Vols rank No. 33 in the nation in total returning production. They rank No. 26 in returning offensive production.

The only SEC team ahead of Tennessee is Mississippi State (the Bulldogs rank No. 20 in total returning production).

Tennessee's biggest losses on the offensive side of the ball are wide receivers Velus Jones Jr and Javonta Payton.

Jones caught 62 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns, while Payton caught 18 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns.

The Vols are also losing running back Tiyon Evans, who transferred to Louisville this offseason.

Key players returning for Tennessee include quarterback Hendon Hooker, wide receiver Cedric Tillman, wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, running back Jabari Small, and running back Jaylen Wright. Other players like wide receivers Jimmy Calloway, Jimmy Holiday, Walker Merrill, and Ramel Keyton will have opportunities to play a big role on offense in 2022.

The Vols still have a long way to go under Heupel before they're competing for SEC titles again — the program badly needs depth — but I think we could see this team pull a major upset or two in 2022.

Featured image via Nikos Frazier / Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK/Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK