🏈 Tennessee football raises its profile

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter. Every Friday we’ll have a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

TENNESSEE KEEPS PUTTING UP NUMBERS

Tennessee football made a big statement with its 11-2 season in 2022.

The Vols reminded the nation what they’re capable of doing with the right people in charge.

They earned BIG wins over Alabama, Florida, LSU and Clemson.

And Tennessee’s offense has everyone (more on that below) paying attention to the Vols.

So when a program has that kind of success, it’s natural to wonder…

What’s next?

We have just under six months until the 2023 season begins. We’ll have to wait for the on-field answer.

In the meantime, how about capitalizing on the results off the field?

That happened this past week when seven Tennessee players attended the NFL Combine. And several showed out in a big way.

Some highlights:

• Jalin Hyatt earned the gold medal for athleticism scores among wide receivers from NextGen Stats.

• Edge rusher Byron Young ran an official 4.43 40-yard dash…. at 250 POUNDS.

• Offensive lineman Darnell Wright turned heads with his size (6-5, 333) and the way he moved.

Let’s stay with Wright.

The former 5-star recruit had a less-than-stellar first two seasons in Knoxville.

Since then? He emerged as one of the best offensive tackles in the country.

Alabama’s Will Anderson, the top pass rusher in this draft, said Wright is the best tackle he faced last season.

Wright has also received major praise from top NFL analysts.

So how does this all help Tennessee?

One challenge Tennessee’s staff has faced: other teams questioning if the Vols’ offensive system will prepare guys for the NFL.

Recruits want to go to the NFL. They want coaches who can help them get there.

Wright’s development from “what happened to him?” to “oh wow look at that dude” will be a big selling point for Tennessee.

So will the development of Hyatt, receiver Cedric Tillman, and others.

It makes a difference to show a recruit how you can develop a player for the NFL as opposed to telling them.

All these players deserve a ton of credit, too.

They bought into the coaching, put in the work, and produced on the field.

They left legacies in Knoxville and created opportunities at the next level.

That’s how you raise the profile — for everyone.

There’s one more player we can’t forget: Hendon Hooker.

Tennessee’s quarterback is still recovering from his ACL surgery (all reports there are positive) but made it to the Combine to meet with teams.

As expected, Hooker reportedly wowed them.

One coach told Bruce Feldman of The Athletic he’d be “shocked” if Hooker doesn’t make it in the NFL "in some capacity.”

We discussed the rise of Hooker’s draft stock on Josh and Swain. ⬇️⬇️

 THE VOLS ADVANCE

Tennessee beat Ole Miss 70-55 on Thursday in the SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Senior Josiah-Jordan James led the Vols in scoring with 20 points. Fellow senior Santiago Vescovi (15 points) was the only other Vol who scored in double figures.

Tennessee wore Ole Miss down and ran away with the game in the second half.

“I thought we got back to being more physical,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said after the game.

Tennessee is better than Ole Miss, which fired head coach Kermit Davis in February, and proved it over 40 minutes.

Tennessee’s next opponent will offer a bigger challenge. The Vols will play Missouri Friday afternoon at 3:30 ET.

You might remember the last game between the Vols and Tigers.

Missouri beat Tennessee 86-85 on a buzzer-beater in Knoxville on Feb. 11. Mizzou shot 14-of-26 from three in that win.

Tennessee hopes for a different outcome this time.

The Vols are also in a different position this time.

They’re no longer led by point guard Zakai Zeigler. Now, Tennessee is looking to its veterans to guide the team.

James, Vescovi and senior Olivier Nkamhoua did that on Thursday, scoring 44 of Tennessee’s 70 points.

Tennessee will need those three players, along with several others, to step up each game if the Vols hope to advance in March.

One issue Tennessee has to correct from the Ole Miss game: turnovers. The Vols turned it over 14 times on Thursday, forcing only seven from Ole Miss.

“Sloppiness and us being undisciplined,” James explained after the game. “For us to win the next game, we’re going to have to be a lot more disciplined (and) get a lot smarter in the next 24 hours.”

Tennessee isn’t playing only to advance in the SEC Tournament.

The Vols can also secure a solid spot in the NCAA Tournament with success this weekend. Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology has Tennessee as a No. 3 seed in The Big Dance.

Take it 24 hours at a time in March.

Are you lacking confidence that Tennessee can string some wins together? See if this note will help.

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 Did you miss Nick Saban’s comments to Sports Illustrated on NIL and fast-paced offenses? Well, they ruffled some feathers. Oh yeah, there were also these comments about future SEC scheduling.

⚾ Former Tennessee pitcher Ben Joyce is still throwing heat as a pro. He’s having a big spring for the Los Angeles Angels.

⚾ Here’s weekend info for Tennessee’s home series against Morehead State.

🏀 With Tennessee ending Ole Miss' season, we'll see if the Rebels hire Chris Beard. He was fired by Texas in January following an ugly Dec. 12 arrest.

🏈 WR Calvin Ridley is back (with the Jacksonville Jaguars) after the NFL reinstated him from his suspension over gambling. Ridley's story goes a lot deeper than that.

🏈 Aaron Rodgers might really become a New York Jet, just like his old Packers teammate Brett Favre.

🏈 Remember Deangelo Gibbs? The former four-star recruit in the 2017 class who played at Georgia before transferring to Tennessee is now playing for South Carolina.

🏀 Here's a schedule for all of Friday's college basketball games.

STICK TO SPORTS!

Where were you during the Blizzard of ‘93?

If the answer is “uh, I wasn’t alive yet,” please keep that to yourself.

This weekend marks the 30-year anniversary of the historic weather event.

Nerd out here (or use the button below) on data, maps and video.

ONE LAST BYTE OUT THE DOOR

Looking for more recruiting coverage?

Austin Price of Volquest joins us every Wednesday to talk recruiting along with football on the field.

Tennessee’s coaches will be busy in March and April with recruiting (plus the start of spring practice).

Check out this week’s segment below for the latest on Tennessee’s recruiting, along with Austin shooting down Dennis Dodd’s report on “whispers” about Tennessee QB Nico Iamaleava.

NEVER miss an episode of Josh and Swain. Here are a few ways to listen to the podcast:

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Thank you for reading.