Yes, Tennessee football's 8-4 record was disappointing, but here's the progress they made

Josh Heupel got Tennessee football this far, and don’t overlook that.

The Vols’ 48-24 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday gave them an 8-4 regular-season record, which would equal the best mark in the 13 years before Heupel arrived.

UT’s disappointing season was still pretty good.

But now Heupel faces a fork in the road to either catch up to the SEC’s best programs or remain in the middle of the pack in college football’s best conference. It seems like either outcome is plausible.

Last season, UT went 11-2 and came up just short of a College Football Playoff berth. That wasn’t a fluke.

This season, the Vols were the sixth-best among 14 SEC teams. Maybe that wasn’t a fluke either.

Now the Vols will play in a solid bowl to end a solid season.

But before that, Heupel must determine which seniors who have eligibility remaining will return for 2024. He must pursue essential players in the transfer portal. And he must try to secure a top-10 recruiting class.

Heupel’s wins and losses in those areas could determine whether UT stands among the elite in the upcoming years or reels off more solid seasons.

“(It has) massive, huge implications on what you’re going to be as you move forward as a program,” Heupel said. “There’s a lot going on, all at one time – high school, portal, your players, all of it.

“And you’ve got to manage it all.”

Can Vols close gap in transfer portal, recruiting?

About half of the 35 senior players who participated in senior day can return next season because they have an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID 2020 season.

Some will come back. Some won’t.

Center Cooper Mays and guard Javontez Spraggins did not participate in senior day recognition. Neither did tackle Gerald Mincey, who could’ve taken part as a redshirt junior.

That might indicate that three starting offensive linemen are returning for 2024 to block for five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. But we won’t know their plans or any seniors’ decisions until they announce them.

The same goes for linebacker Keenan Pili, cornerback Doneiko Slaughter and defensive back Tamarion McDonald, who also didn’t participate in senior day. And some seniors who went through senior day festivities also might return in 2024.

Heupel will know their decisions before we will.

And he’ll use that information when the 30-day transfer portal window opens Dec. 4. The Vols have a long list of needs to close the gap with Georgia, Alabama and others.

Then the 2024 recruiting class signs, beginning Dec. 20. UT ranks No. 12 in the 247 Sports Composite with five-star edge rusher Jordan Ross, five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews, four-star athlete Boo Carter and four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger leading the class.

UT is in the mix for five-star prospect Jordan Seaton, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the class.

8-4 record 'may be good for other schools'

Heupel isn’t satisfied with an 8-4 record. He expected more, and that’s evident in how even his players reflected on this season.

“We raised the expectation, the standard of this program,” senior wide receiver Ramel Keyton, who has exhausted his eligibility. “It’s not like Tennessee is expecting to win eight games. It may be good for other schools. But our expectations are a national championship and an SEC championship.

“We didn’t get it this year, but that’s still the expectation. And I’m pretty sure next year they’re going to get it.”

UT lost to three top 10 teams – Georgia, Alabama and Missouri – and played poorly in a loss at Florida. That’s not good enough for Heupel.

The Vols won close games over middle-of-the-pack SEC teams Kentucky and Texas A&M. And they routed bad SEC teams South Carolina and Vanderbilt. That paints a clear picture of where they stand.

They’ve also been almost unbeatable at home – 18-4 at Neyland Stadium under Heupel.

“We left a legacy that there’s only one way that we play when we get inside that stadium,” senior quarterback Joe Milton said.

Heupel must bolster roster to take next step

Heupel opened his postgame press conference by acknowledging the senior class, including many players he inherited from fired coach Jeremy Pruitt.

There weren’t many. When the 2023 season started, 33 of 124 players on the roster had played for Pruitt or were signed by him. But 13 starters on this team are from that group.

That means Heupel’s staff developed Pruitt’s players for its best season in 2022. But it also means the Vols took a step backward when the roster transitioned to Heupel’s players.

That’s not a criticism. It’s just useful context. And there were many other factors to last season’s success for which Heupel’s staff deserve credit.

Heupel is realistic about the state of the UT program. There have been more highs than lows, but plenty of each. The next steps will determine that balance in the critical upcoming season, when the SEC expands to 16 teams and the playoff grows to 12 teams.

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“(Fans) should feel the way that we feel. When I say that, I’m proud of this group,” Heupel said. “Every Saturday is different, and we’ve all had some disappointments.

“But I’m really proud of (the state of the program) – where we started, where we’re at, where we’ve got to continue to fight to get to.”

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Unpacking Tennessee football progress under Josh Heupel after going 8-4