Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel met with the local media on Thursday afternoon as the Vols’ begin their practices ahead of this month’s Music City Bowl matchup against Illinois. But most of Heupel’s press conference was focused on topics separate from the bowl game.
Heupel discussed hiring Jim Knowles, whether they’ll add a quarterback in the transfer portal and much more. Here’s everything Heupel said.
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Opening statement
“I don’t think I’m going to get an opportunity to speak to you guys again, or to our fans, before we get to Nashville (for the Music City Bowl). So I just want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing our fans show up in a great way when we head over to Nashville, get an opportunity to play a really good Illinois football team. Been a lot going on, obviously, with our roster, guys graduating and finishing their academics out of it and getting ready to go compete. So this time of year you’re juggling a lot of different things, but it has been really good. Practices, as we’ve gotten into our preparation, have been really good and we look forward to finishing that up before we get a little break for Christmas.”
On how set Tennessee’s roster is for the Music City Bowl
“Pretty set right now with guys that are out there practicing and getting ready to go play in this one. And a couple guys are still making decisions on their futures and, getting information. At the end of the day as guys go through that, for us, for me and then for them, it’s always about making the right decision for them, their future, their career, their families and giving them good information.”
On Tennessee quarterback Jake Merklinger’s decision to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, where the Vols are at QB for the Music City Bowl and next season
“Yeah, I think it’s like your entire roster where there are moving pieces. And Jake made a choice that he felt like was right for him and we support him. Jake has been a great teammate while he is been here and grown and competed. Obviously George (MacIntyre) will be the, the number two here going into to the bowl game. And then as we finish that up and you and (Merklinger) enters the portal, with everything that’s going on with Joey and all those pieces, we’ll look to put that position in a room to help us go compete for a championship.”
On if there’s a specific date he has in mind in which Tennessee needs an answer from Joey Aguilar on his future
“I don’t have a specific date at at this time.”
On hiring Jim Knowles as Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator
“You look at his, his track record of success, building defenses that play at a championship level, being able to do it multiple spots, do it in in a way that fits the personnel that’s there and that you can recruit to. Subtly being different at the different places that he’s been. And the ability to tie all three levels of it together and play really good defense.
“His track record of getting better every year. People that have worked with him, who he is as far as the culture fit, wants to be involved and grow young men. He’s going to coach them hard but love them hard too. And I think you put all of that together, certainly he was the right choice for us and where we want to go.”
On how Tennessee freshman quarterback George MacIntyre has grown during his first season with the Vols
“Yeah, just continued growth and understanding it. As simple as receiving a signal and being able to communicate. His command of what we’re doing, decision making. He’s had good bowl preparation here as well. So look forward, as we continue to get closer to the game day and continue to take steps.”
On conversations with Tennessee’s quarterbacks about how he plans to address the position and the NCAA Transfer Portal
“I think you have to be honest in today’s landscape. And I think that’s so that your players trust you on a consistent basis. And ultimately information is readily available to everybody, too. So I think being transparent and open in those lines of communication is really important. And that’s not just transfer portal season, it’s legitimately at every phase of of what you’re doing.”
On using the bowl game to evaluate Tennessee’s younger players, the test that Illinois presents
“Yeah, Illinois is a physical football team that doesn’t beat themselves, has a quarterback that has played at a really high level for a long time. And their ability to run the football offensively, multiple in what they do defensively, different personnel groupings. You got to be prepared for all of it. So a really good test against a really good football team.”
On how thankful he is to have had Joey Aguilar this season
“Couldn’t be more thankful for who he has been from the moment that he set foot here. That’s being a teammate and caring about the guys around him, the culture inside the locker room. And then certainly the player. His ability in a really short amount of time to grasp what we’re doing offensively, go play and execute at a really high level. Big part of our offensive and team success this year. And so couldn’t have had somebody come in in May and do it any better.”
On how hard it is to be the CEO of a program with current rules
“It’s really hard. December used to be one of the best months inside of college football. I wouldn’t call it that at this current state. You’re navigating a lot of different pieces all at one time and this is still the greatest game that there is. It’s great to be around young people and be a part of their growth, their journey in life, not just inside of football. But certainly that’s a part of it too. And it’s just different than it used to be. So you got to navigate it and I’m not going to sit here and complain about it. It is what it is. There’s some things that I think have changed rule-wise that have helped it, balanced it out, but it’s still certainly different then it used to be.”
On if he likes the portal not opening until January now
“I think, in general, it’s been a real positive inside the landscape of what everybody’s trying to deal with and navigate. I think that has been positive.”
On what was a theme in his mind of what he wanted his defense to look like as he made the change at defensive coordinator
“Guys that have the ability to fit what personnel you have and I’m saying that because we got really good personnel guys that are coming back and being able to take advantage of their traits where you’re not starting over from ground zero. The ability to control and command all three levels. The ability to build championship-level defenses and I already talked about the culture piece as well, so I think it’s a combination of putting all those things together is what we were looking for the right fit and that’s why we’re excited about Jim.”
On what Jim Knowles has done his first week on the job, what his first impressions with the team have been like
“Got here on Monday and you’re starting the onboarding process just with campus and that type of thing. Then him having that opportunity to get introduced in front of the team, be able to watch practice and what a typical week looks like from us on the practice standpoint. The ability to watch and get to know our current roster here and I think get to know our staff, all of it and so you continue to grow, or he continues to grow and his understanding of who we have here and what it is and ultimately a big part of it is the projection of the portal and things that we need to give our defense an opportunity to be elite.”
On if Knowles has individual meetings with players at this point
“He hasn’t had individual meetings at this point. He has been able to sit in on some position meetings and our ‘26 recruits have the opportunity to communicate with those guys and that process continues on the recruiting side with ‘27s and then ultimately portal guys here quickly too coming up.”
On what he’s seen from young receivers Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith ahead of the bowl game
“Those were two young guys that as we were getting ready to go into the season that I talked highly about just their maturity coming in in January. Their growth, both of them, had injuries at different times of the year that slowed some of that down. They’ve had great practices here on the back end of the season and over the last week and a half, two weeks and both of those guys are going to get an opportunity to play a lot of football. Expect them to go play at a really high level.”
On if they would be forced to add a third quarterback in the portal if Joey Aguilar does not get additional eligibility
“Unless we can go sign Phillip Rivers on a free agent contract.”
But you have to have three, right?
“Yeah, I mean there’s been years where you’ve had that happen, where you’ve had to play a third so don’t want to do that but it’s happened before.”
On Radarious Jackson, his athleticism
“A guy that as he came in, and I’ve said this to him, just his maturity was at a different level than I probably anticipated. And I’m saying that in a really positive way. Had great work habits, willing to do extra, grew inside of our offense extremely quickly. But his athletic traits, he’s got the ability to make plays once the ball is in his hands. Perimeter screens. He’s got the ability to be a weapon in that way, but he’s extremely loose and fluid, explosive, has the ability to go attack the football and play big and long and his ability to open up back hip long on shoulders back behind.
He’s got a really big catch radius and Joey’s got a lot of trust in him, and Travis as young guys.”
