Man, the Tennessee Volunteers‘ faithful gotta be feeling distressed right now. The Vols had been riding high off Josh Heupel’s offensive magic show, but now the man’s sweating bullets, trying to keep one of his prized 2026 recruits locked down. You ever been to a barbecue where someone’s bragging about their ribs, but low-key their neighbor’s grill is smelling a little better? Yeah, that’s exactly what’s happening here with 240-ish pound Vols commit.
So here’s the scoop: Carson Sneed, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound beast (per Rivals) of a tight end from Donelson Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, is making some folks in Knoxville mighty uncomfortable. This TE’s got the type of skill set that makes defensive coordinators lose sleep—elite b–l skills, route-running like he’s gliding on air and a physicality that screams, ‘Get off me! Before I moss you’ As a junior, he tore it up, so naturally, the Vols snagged his commitment in August 2024. At the time, Sneed was all about that Tennessee life. He even said, “UT has kind of had my heart since I was a kid because that’s the team I grew up watching.” Talk about warm and fuzzy.
But here’s the catch: Sneed’s recruitment ain’t exactly locked up in a safe. Turns out, big names like Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, and even Louisville are still trying to slide into his DMs. And they’re not being subtle about it. Just recently, Carson Sneed took a trip to Louisville and came away mighty impressed with how the tight ends are being used over there. To make matters worse for Vols fans, he’s got visits lined up with UCLA, Colorado, Ole Miss, North Carolina, Miami, and maybe even Florida State. Well, the word ‘commitment’ seems like a joke now. Ain’t gonna lie, this isn’t a good look for Tennessee and Coach Heupel.
Now, when Sneed first committed to the Vols, he was all about the coaching staff, the offensive scheme, and Tennessee’s tight end development. And to be fair, Heupel’s system is about as tight-end-friendly as it gets. “For the past year and a half since UT has been recruiting me, they’ve maintained the same consistent message. I felt comfortable around them, knowing what’s in store for me in Knoxville, so I’m excited to get this done and go into my junior year stress-free,” Sneed said at the time.
But let’s be real: if you’re truly locked in, you’re not taking visits like it’s some kinda national tour. So yeah, Heupel’s sweating, and for good reason.
Josh Heupel’s big boy expectations for Nico Iamaleava’s year 2
Meanwhile, Josh Heupel’s got more on his plate than just keeping Sneed locked down. Spring game’s here, and all eyes are on Vols’ prized QB Nico Iamaleava. Last fall, the kid showed flashes of being the real deal, but there were some wobbly moments too. Now, Heupel’s looking at him like, ‘Alright, kid. Year 2. Time to level up for all that hype’. Heupel laid it out clear as day: “Yeah, command and control of what we’re doing offensively. (Be) better with his eyes. It’s a fundamental position to be accurate with the football. Leadership. It’s the checklist of playing the quarterback position—all of those things. He’s got a chance to continue to get better.”
Iamaleava’s got all the physical tools to be the next Carson Wentz or Andrew Luck. But let’s not act like the road’s smooth and paved with gold. He had some serious passing struggles last year. It’s like the QB had a cannon and missile launcher for an arm but no GPS and target-locked-in button to direct it. Still, he did show improvement late in the season, which Heupel’s gotta love.
The challenge? He’s gotta adjust to a new-look offense. With wide-outs like Squirrel White, Nathan Leacock, and Nate Spillman bouncing to the transfer portal and his go-to-guy Dylan Sampson (RB) heading to the NFL, Iamaleava’s working with fresh faces and trying to find his rhythm. But the potential’s there (per Vols fans). The Vols faithful are praying this kid turns out to be the quarterback Messiah they’ve been waiting on.
Heupel’s got big-boy expectations for Iamaleava’s Year 2. If Iamaleava can clean up the sloppiness and put some consistency behind all that raw talent, Tennessee’s offense could be scarier than a bull in a china shop. But if he doesn’t? Man, that barbecue just might get rained out. Let’s see how this one plays out. Either way, Josh Heupel looking at double trouble if Nico Iamaleava and Carson Sneed recruit don’t work out.
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