Former Vols OC Alex Golesh gives thoughts on criticisms of Tennessee's up-tempo offense
The criticisms of the Tennessee Vols' offense under Josh Heupel have been discussed ad nauseam at this point, but that's only because detractors of UT's high scoring offense have a loud voice. If you're a Vols fan, you're likely well aware of the criticisms. Opposing fans like to suggest that Tennessee's offense is a "gimmick" […]
The criticisms of the Tennessee Vols' offense under Josh Heupel have been discussed ad nauseam at this point, but that's only because detractors of UT's high scoring offense have a loud voice.
If you're a Vols fan, you're likely well aware of the criticisms. Opposing fans like to suggest that Tennessee's offense is a "gimmick" and that UT's players are only successful because of Heupel's scheme.
The critics like to opine that players who come from Tennessee's offense won't find success in the NFL.
Earlier this summer, former Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh joined Giants.com to discuss former Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt (a third round selection by the New York Giants in the 2023 NFL Draft) and his transition to the NFL.
Golesh, who is now the head coach at USF, was asked specifically about Hyatt's skillset and the idea that he's a "one-trick pony" because of his speed and the offense that he played in at UT.
The former Tennessee offensive coordinator told Giants.com that while the scheme can create favorable matchups, it's ultimately on the players to execute and get open.
"I think that was like the sexy question leading up to the draft," said Golesh in response to the questions about Hyatt's route running abilities. "You know like man, is it the offense? Is it the product of the offense? Is it what you guys do and the tempo? And, man, I think you can either play receiver or you can't. I think when that question comes up, it's because people don't understand what we do. And that's exactly how we want it. I think when people don't understand what's going on, they tend to create reasons why it should work or shouldn't work. He's (Hyatt) a high level receiver. He can run any route. He can catch any ball. Obviously, he's young. He's got to develop just like any receiver out of any offense. And it's the New York Giants' job to coach him to do that."
"A lot of people say it's the scheme," added Golesh. "I've never seen a scheme get somebody to get open on a defensive back. The scheme maybe allows a formational matchup that you like, but the guy still has got to do the job of getting open. So I think he's as complete of a receiver as a three year guy can be….I think he's going to do whatever that coaching staff asks him to do. And hopefully, from a fan standpoint, getting vertical over top of people is one of those things."
Golesh is spot on. Ultimately football boils down to one thing — beating the guy that's trying to stop you. Regardless of the scheme, it's still a player on one side of the line of scrimmage trying to catch the football and score while a defender on the other side of the line of scrimmage tries to stop that player from scoring. It's really that simple.
Hyatt and other Vols who have found success in Tennessee's offense are talented players who likely would've been successful anywhere they went. Heupel and the Vols are just able to maximize potential better than other programs. Players shouldn't be penalized because of good coaching.
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Featured image via Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
