Josh Heupel addresses potential opt outs for Tennessee Vols' Orange Bowl matchup against Clemson Tigers

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel met virtually with reporters on Sunday to discuss UT's upcoming Orange Bowl showdown with the Clemson Tigers. Heupel was specifically asked about potential opt-outs for the Vols in the Orange Bowl. Opt-outs for bowl games have become increasingly common in recent years as players look to avoid injury while […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel met virtually with reporters on Sunday to discuss UT's upcoming Orange Bowl showdown with the Clemson Tigers.

Heupel was specifically asked about potential opt-outs for the Vols in the Orange Bowl.

Opt-outs for bowl games have become increasingly common in recent years as players look to avoid injury while starting their NFL draft prep.

Heupel, however, doesn't expect Tennessee to have a bunch of opt-outs for the bowl game, though he acknowledged that some players are still mulling over decisions.

"I certainly expect most of our guys to be there," said Heupel on Sunday. "There's guys that are still gaining information, guys that were nicked up on the back half of the season, that got to see where they get to here over the coming days and make a smart, educated decision for them and their future."

"This is a special football game," added Heupel. "This is important to our program. It's important to our players inside of the locker room. Certainly, I believe we'll have a majority if not a full roster when we get down there for it."

One player that's considered a "toss-up" to play for the Vols in the Orange Bowl is wide receiver Cedric Tillman.

The Las Vegas native has been banged up this season after suffering a high ankle sprain in Tennessee's win against Akron back in September.

Tillman entered the 2022 season as the SEC's leading wide receiver, but he's been limited to 37 receptions for 417 yards and three touchdowns this season due to the injury he sustained against Akron (Tillman has missed six games this season).

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Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman (4) during Tennessee’s game against Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.Kns Vols Georgia Bp

I could see Tillman skipping the Orange Bowl to prevent another setback with his ankle.

And I could also see Tillman choosing to play in the Orange Bowl to get another big game on film for NFL teams to check out.

Tillman didn't play in the Vols' regular-season finale against the Vanderbilt Commodores. That means if he plays in the Orange Bowl on December 30, it will be his first game action in 41 days. If Tillman plays against Clemson, it could be the healthiest he's been since the Akron game. And a big game could help his NFL draft stock.

Another player to keep an eye on is wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who could possibly forego his senior season at Tennessee to enter the 2023 NFL Draft. Hyatt probably wouldn't increase his draft stock much with a big game against Clemson — I think NFL scouts have seen what they need to see from Hyatt this season — so I would understand if the South Carolina native chooses to skip the bowl game.

There is one reason, however, that Hyatt could choose to play. Clemson, like South Carolina, didn't offer Hyatt during his recruitment. That was a big storyline when Hyatt and the Vols played the Gamecocks in November. That game didn't go as Hyatt and Tennessee planned. It's certainly possible that Hyatt would like to get that bad taste out of his mouth by having a huge game against Clemson.

We'll see what happens in the coming weeks, but it sounds like Heupel is expecting the Vols to have a mostly full roster in Miami for their Orange Bowl showdown with the Tigers.

Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

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