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- š Tennessee's quest for 10 wins
š Tennessee's quest for 10 wins
Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the weekās top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.
Hereās what we have for you today:
The latest college football analyst to predict 10 wins for Tennessee
The position group that MUST bounce back for the Vols this fall
Tennessee has had a big recruiting summer. Can the Vols keep it going?
The best the vibe for Tennessee sports has been sinceā¦ ?
Quick note: Most of this weekās newsletter was written a few days in advance due to late week travel.
If this sounds like an excuse for any typos/errors you findā¦ youāre exactly right.
Thanks as always for reading. Hope you enjoy!
10 WINS: THAT MAGIC NUMBER
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Can Tennesseeās win total match Squirrel Whiteās jersey?
Weāre in the middle of a transition from Talkinā Season to Prediction Season.
By now, you mightāve seen that Tennessee was picked to finish seventh in the SEC this year.
Is that too high, too low, or about right?
Well if Tennessee plans to make the College Football Playoff, finishing seventh in the SEC wonāt cut it.
But hereās an annual disclaimer: the predictions mean very little.
Theyāre great for summer conversation.
And they do offer a gauge of each teamās perception entering the season.
The vote for teams 5-8 (LSU, Missouri, Tennessee and Oklahoma) was tight.
That's why the Oklahoma game on Sept. 21 is so important: itās an opportunity for Tennessee to separate itself from a fellow playoff contender.
The range of predictions for Tennessee right now typically spans from 8-10 wins.
And most often, the debate is between nine or 10 wins.
Chris Doering of ESPN and the SEC Network joined us at SEC Media Days and took the bright side of that debate.
āIām high on this Tennessee team. ā¦ I expect Tennessee to win 10 games. I think the schedule sets up really well for yāall. Itās a grind running through that SEC schedule, as we all know. But I do think that the schedule is favorable for Tennessee if you look at it.ā
Tennesseeās schedule is a common reason for the Volsā playoff optimism.
Weāve made this point several times in the newsletter: going 4-0 in September would give Tennessee a HUGE playoff opportunity.
That means beating North Carolina State and Oklahoma ā both games away from Knoxville.
Losing one of them wouldnāt kill Tennesseeās playoff hopes.
But it would mean Tennessee almost HAS to beat two of Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
And avoid any slip-ups elsewhere.
Doableā¦ but far from easy.
The latest over/under from multiple sportsbooks has actually dropped Tennesseeās number to 8.5.
Meaning their debate is between eight or nine wins for UT.
But as many listeners have pointed out, few people expected a 10-win season in 2022.
And the Vols made it happen.
What record do you have for Tennessee this fall?
Doering says 10-2. And heās not the only one.
Check out our full conversation with Chris Doering below or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
TENNESSEEāS MOST INTRIGUING POSITION?
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Bru McCoyās return should provide a boost to Tennesseeās offense
The Vols will open fall camp on Wednesdayā¦ meaning football really is getting closer.
Several positions groups will be worth watching when the Vols hit the field.
The most intriguing group to watch?
It might be the wide receivers.
Last weekās newsletter included Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy talking about Bru McCoy and Chris Brazzell, the talented transfer from Tulane.
Doering, who was an All-American receiver at Florida, was another guest on the show who brought up both players and his excitement to see what they can do this fall.
Hereās what Doering said:
āI canāt wait to see Bru McCoy back, man. It was a tough injury last year and getting a chance to talk to him when I was there in the spring, you could see that he was really antsy to get back out. As a guy that was injured ā I tore my Achilles in the NFL ā once youāre away from it, it creates a sense of urgency to get back out there and an appreciation. So Iām excited for his season.
But I think they have a unique blend of different skills. Youāve got some length; youāve got some quickness. Youāve got some guys that I think have to help our their quarterback more. As much as we talk about Joe Milton being inconsistent, the receivers really hurt Tennesseeās offense last year with the drops and some of the mistakes that they made. I feel like this group is going to be in a much better cumulative position than they were last year.ā
A listener asked us this week if people are underestimating Tennesseeās receivers heading into the season.
Jayson Swain said yesā¦ and that heās one of them.
Thatās not because Swain doubts their ability or how well theyāll produce.
He wants to SEE Tennesseeās receivers perform.
Thatās the case for people like Doering and Nagy, too.
The potential of Tennesseeās receivers is exciting.
ā¢ McCoy is back to help lead the group
ā¢ A lot of people believe Brazzell will make a quick impact
ā¢ Freshman Mike Matthews looks like the real deal (Swain has endorsed him)
ā¢ Returning players like Squirrel White, Chas Nimrod, Dontāe Thornton, and Kaleb Webb provide solid depth
This group just has to SHOW what it can do.
SPORTS NUGGETS
š The NCAA is expected to increase scholarship limits, with football going from 85 to 105 scholarships allowed.
š Eight Tennessee players made the East-West Shrine Bowl watch list. Is that too few?
š What needs to go right for Tennessee to become a playoff team this fall? Bill Connelly put out his list of āifsā for the Vols and other playoff contenders.
š Ohio State football players received āaround $20 millionā this past year.
š„ Itās time for the 2024 Summer Olympics and our friend Jay Busbee is one person to read as he provides coverage from Paris.
š° Tennessee has provided the latest plans for the Neyland Entertainment District.
š§ We had a wonderful time talking to the great David Cutcliffe. Listen to the interview here.
TENNESSEEāS RED HOT RECRUITING
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Shaedy Hayward should be Tennesseeās next big commit | via On3
Tennessee football has enjoyed a big run on the recruiting trail.
Hereās a quick update on the Volsā commitments over the last five-ish weeks:
ā¼ļø June 24: 4-star OL Douglas Utu
ā¼ļø June 25: 3-star CB Tre Poteat
ā¼ļø June 28: 4-star Edge Mariyon Dye
ā¼ļø July 13: 4-star WR Travis Smith
ā¼ļø July 20: 4-star LB Christian Gass
Tennessee believes it will continue that momentum over the next few weeks.
Four-star safety Lagonza āShaedyā Hayward is set to announce his commitment on Saturday, with Tennessee, Florida and Georgia his finalists.
And the Vols feel good about their chances.
How good?
Well, Hayward will make his announcement in Knoxville.
Soā¦ GOOD.
Tennessee also remains in a solid position with four-star tight end DaSaahn Brame.
So solid that Brame returned to Knoxville for a visit this weekend.
Everyone expects him to flip to Tennessee, the Oregon staff included.
Tennessee also remains in good standing with four-star cornerback Onis Konanbanny.
And 2026 five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon will announce his commitment between Tennessee and Alabama on Aug. 3 ā with the Vols looking like the leader entering his announcement.
Then thereās five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr., whoās set to announce on Aug. 17.
Sanders will take visits to Tennessee and Nebraska again this weekend.
This once appeared to be a Tennessee-Ohio State battle for Sanders.
But the Cornhuskers have remained in the picture.
Tennessee will work this weekend to keep Nebraska from pulling off the upset.
We discussed Sanders and Tennesseeās overall recruiting momentum with Austin Price of Volquest this week. Check out the full conversation below or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
TENNESSEEāS GOOD VIBE
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Good times on Rocky Top
The conversation around Tennessee sports seems pretty positive right now, huh?
That might still take some getting used to because of how things went in the 2010s.
But the success across the board is realā¦ and it should keep going, at least into the near future.
That has changed the mood around campus and in Knoxvilleā¦ in a good way.
ESPNās Ryan McGee, a UT grad, discussed the Volsā positive mood on our show at SEC Media Days.
āItās just a good vibe in the building right now. I was in Omaha on the field with Rick Barnes and with Josh and obviously with Tony V and Peyton and everybody after the national championship. And momentum is a real thing. And the vibe in the building is a real thing. ā¦ Iād go back to 2004 maybe as the last time the entire building felt good. Itās a good vibe right now and I think (Heupel) is feeding off that.ā
Nothing is guaranteed and things can change.
How this football season plays out will affect the mood around Tennessee sports.
But thereās a lot of confidence on the UT campus right now.
And there should be.
Watch our full conversation with Ryan McGee below or listen anywhere you get your podcasts.
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