The Tennessee Volunteers had been a struggling program for much of the last two decades, and at times, 1998 felt like it was half a century ago.

However, since Josh Heupel’s arrival in 2021, the Vols have reclaimed national relevance, bringing an electrifying brand of football to fans in Knoxville. As impressive as the 2022 team was — with its victory over Alabama and the nation’s No. 1 offense — the 2024 squad may be Heupel’s best yet.

Last weekend, Tennessee dominated NC State 51-10 in what was expected to be a close game, proving they can win in a variety of ways. While the offense wasn’t its usual high-octane self, the defense excelled, and the offense, led by a budding young star, managed the game effectively and is poised to improve each week. This balanced approach makes the 2024 team the most complete one Heupel has fielded.

Former Alabama quarterback and current SEC analyst Greg McElroy shares the high expectations for Tennessee, as he expressed on his podcast this week:

"Welcome back to the top of the sport, @Vol_Football." 👏👏

The #Vols defense puts Tennessee in a great position to compete atop the sport this year 📈📈 pic.twitter.com/7QTdQ2zu5i

— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) September 10, 2024

“Welcome back to the top of the sport, Tennessee,” McElroy said. “This defense was every bit as good if not better than the significant praise we heaped on them this offseason…NC State is not without talent, and they got destroyed. Completely destroyed along the line of scrimmage. [Tennessee’s] defense will win them a bunch of games this year. A bunch…I feel great about where they are at now, Tennessee fans should be pumped.”

Alabama heads to Knoxville to take on Tennessee on October 19.