Vols head coach Josh Heupel lands on impressive list, but he should've been one spot higher

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is one of the best college football head coaches under the age of 45 according to CBS Sports. The national sports publication ranked the top 10 college football head coaches under 45 this week and they have Heupel at No. 5. Here's their full list. Lincoln Riley — USCRyan […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is one of the best college football head coaches under the age of 45 according to CBS Sports.

The national sports publication ranked the top 10 college football head coaches under 45 this week and they have Heupel at No. 5.

Here's their full list.

  1. Lincoln Riley — USC
  2. Ryan Day — Ohio State
  3. Matt Campbell — Iowa State
  4. Billy Napier — Florida
  5. Josh Heupel — Tennessee
  6. PJ Fleck — Minnesota
  7. Jason Candle — Toledo
  8. Neal Brown — West Virginia
  9. Mike Norvell — Florida State
  10. Eli Drinkwitz — Missouri

Here are the coaches who just missed their top 10:

  • Shane Beamer — South Carolina
  • Tony Elliott — Virginia
  • Marcus Freeman — Notre Dame
  • Jeff Hafley — Boston College
  • Dan Lanning — Oregon
  • Rhett Lashlee — SMU
  • Ryan Silverfield — Memphis
  • Jonathan Smith — Oregon State
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Tennessee Vols Head Coach Josh Heupel walks on the field before an SEC football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.Kns Tennessee Georgia Football

And here's what CBS Sports had to say about Heupel:

Tennessee needed to be exciting again. AD Danny White put the UCF band back together when he hired Heupel. The modest 7-6 Tennessee debut masks progress made in an impressive first season. Quarterback Hendon Hooker was third nationally in pass efficiency, throwing 31 touchdowns with only three interceptions. While his SEC success is still a developing situation, Heupel got the job after going 28-8 at UCF. Tennessee is also all-in on name, image and likeness, which it almost has to be in the SEC

This ranking feels about right except I think Heupel absolutely has to be above Napier.

That's not to take anything away from Napier — he has a great resumé as a head coach. But Napier, who is entering his first season as the head coach at Florida, hasn't proved he can win at the Power-5 level yet. Heupel, on the other hand, proved last year that he can win in the SEC (7-6 in his first year as an SEC head coach at a program that was expected to win around five games is impressive).

Napier might end up being the next Nick Saban — no one really knows. Heupel could be the next Saban, too (again, no one knows).

But for now, I think the edge has to go to Heupel simply because he's already proved he can win at a higher level.

Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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