Off-field win that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols aren't receiving nearly enough credit for this offseason
The Tennessee Vols had a major win this offseason that Josh Heupel and his coaching staff aren't getting nearly enough credit for. Outside of all the coaching movement that happened this offseason (highlighted by Nick Saban's retirement), one of the biggest stories of the college football offseason, as expected, was the transfer portal. As has […]
The Tennessee Vols had a major win this offseason that Josh Heupel and his coaching staff aren't getting nearly enough credit for.
Outside of all the coaching movement that happened this offseason (highlighted by Nick Saban's retirement), one of the biggest stories of the college football offseason, as expected, was the transfer portal.
As has become the norm in college football, a seemingly endless stream of players entered the transfer portal this offseason.
Several formers Vols were among those who entered the portal, including players like defensive lineman Tyler Baron (transferred to Louisville) and cornerback Doneiko Slaughter (transferred to Arkansas).
For the most part, the Vols didn't lose any players to the portal that they tried to keep in Knoxville.
That includes superstar edge rusher James Pearce, arguably the best defensive player in the nation.
There was never even a whisper this offseason that Pearce was thinking about transferring from Tennessee — even though there were rumblings that other programs were throwing some big NIL numbers at the dominant pass rusher.
Losing Pearce would've been disastrous for the Vols. He's the type of disruptive pass rusher that any true championship contender needs on their roster.
And yet Heupel and his staff quietly kept Pearce in Knoxville. There were no cryptic tweets like we've seen in past years from players. There was no panic from the fan base about whether or not Pearce would stick around for another season. He just simply never stopped being a Vol.
Heupel and his staff deserve a lot of credit for keeping Pearce on the roster. That's as big of a portal win as any program in the nation had this season.
If Pearce would've left Tennessee for another program — especially another program in the SEC — it would've been hailed as the biggest portal addition of the offseason.
If losing Pearce would've created those kind of headlines, then keeping him should result in some significant praise for Heupel and his assistants.
Not losing key players to the portal is just as important (perhaps even more important) as adding key players from the portal.
Tennessee managed to keep all the top programs in the nation away from the best pass rusher in the nation. It was quietly the biggest offseason win for any SEC program.
