Vols' fans just received the first sign that Tennessee's offensive style is making its way to the NFL
The Tennessee Vols' offensive style under Josh Heupel has been heavily criticized this offseason. Most of that criticism centers around whether or not Heupel's offense properly prepares players for the NFL. The idea is that Tennessee's up-tempo spread offense is far different than anything NFL teams are running, which puts players from Heupel's system at […]
The Tennessee Vols' offensive style under Josh Heupel has been heavily criticized this offseason.
Most of that criticism centers around whether or not Heupel's offense properly prepares players for the NFL.
The idea is that Tennessee's up-tempo spread offense is far different than anything NFL teams are running, which puts players from Heupel's system at a disadvantage when they make the jump to the NFL (that's what the critics say at least).
Earlier this offseason, Heupel pushed back against the narrative that Tennessee's offense doesn't translate to the NFL. He even suggested that he's received calls this offseason from NFL teams asking for more information about the Vols' scheme.
“I’m getting a lot of questions about scheme and guys that want to incorporate what we’re doing, so I think it will transition just fine," said Heupel in late March (via 247Sports). "You look at the NFL, how college football has impacted the way that game is being played now, a lot of what is happening on this level is transitioning upward, not necessarily just downward.”
I don't know if the Tennessee Titans were one of the NFL teams that checked in with Heupel (though it's certainly possible since Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was at UT's Pro Day in March), but it certainly sounds like they're planning on running a version of what the Vols run.
Titans wide receiver Treylon Burks met with the media on Tuesday for the first time this offseason and he was asked what the offense in Nashville will look like this season under new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.
Burks told reporters that the new offense reminds him of his offense at Arkansas under Kendal Briles. The second-year wide receiver said the offense under Kelly, which utilizes tempo, allows players to play "free" and have "fun" (sounds a lot like the way the Vols' offense is often described).
Briles, the son of former Baylor head coach Art Briles, runs a version of the veer-n-shoot that's similar to Heupel's offense. The idea is to spread the field and make defenses declare whether they're in man or zone coverage. Motion can then be utilized to create mismatches.
Heupel may not be the godfather of this style of offense, but he's certainly helped put it on the national stage. And while the Titans won't be a mirror image of the Vols in 2023 (the closer hash marks mean that NFL teams can't fully "copy" the Briles/Heupel offense), it at least sounds like there will be plenty of similarities to what UT does offensively.
Not only do Burks' comments end the narrative that Tennessee's offense doesn't translate to the NFL, but it also shows how the Vols' offense might actually prepare players for the NFL better than anyone realized.
