The trait that Josh Heupel says he likes the most about the 2026 Tennessee Vols is the most important trait any team can have
Spring practice is well underway for the Tennessee Vols.
The Tennessee Vols held their first spring scrimmage on Thursday morning.
Vols head coach Josh Heupel told reporters that it was a “good day” of work for Tennessee.
“Defensively, played extremely well,” said Heupel. “Created a couple of turnovers, but played assignment sound, fit the run game pretty well, and didn’t give up a lot of big plays. So a good day, I thought… Offensively, there’s some real positives, too. A couple penalties that we got to play smarter in as we continue to learn how to play smart football. But all in all, a really good day of work.”
Josh Heupel points out the trait he likes the most about the 2026 Vols and it’s an important one
At the end of Heupel’s media session on Thursday, he was asked what trait he likes the most about this year’s Tennessee team.
Heupel pointed out a trait that’s arguably the most important trait for any team to have: competitiveness.
“I like the physical traits, but I like the competitive makeup of this group,” said Heupel. “They’ve competed and practiced extremely hard. We don’t have to push them to get going. They embrace and take advantage of every opportunity that we’ve had out on the field. (Strength coach) Derek (Owings) has done the same thing in the weight room, growing that mindset. And so holistically, in every area of our program, I like the way that they’ve attacked everything that we’re doing.”
It doesn’t matter how talented a roster is, if the players aren’t extremely competitive, they stand no chance of being the last team standing.
Competing hard on every rep, while playing free and with confidence, is an absolute must for any team that hopes to win a national championship. Without that mindset, it’s impossible to win it all.
It’s still very early in this Tennessee team’s journey, but they’re certainly off to a great start. But they’ll need to make sure they keep the competitive fire burning bright over the next 10 months if they’re going to bring a natty back to Rocky Top.
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