Nobody is calling for Tennessee to move on from its sixth-year head coach. That’s not where things stand. But after an 8-5 season and an offense that no longer carries the fear factor it once did, the questions are getting louder. With Josh Heupel entering the 2026 season on a contract worth $9 million annually through 2030, the focus is on whether the Vols can rediscover the momentum. 

“This could get pretty dicey if Tennessee doesn’t have a good season,” Jake Crain said on Crain & Cone. “How do we feel about Josh, though, as the head coach? It seems like he’s good. It doesn’t feel elite. It doesn’t feel bad.”

Blaine Crain credited Heupel’s rescue of the program but questioned whether the trajectory has stalled—especially with no clear QB starter for 2026. His main concern: no clarity on who will start at QB in 2026.

“Now you look at it, I feel like Tennessee’s going in reverse,” he said. “You don’t have a starter this year, and I’m not talking about players and stuff like that, but I don’t think Tennessee is in the right place right now.”

Those comments aren’t coming out of nowhere. For fans who lived through the 11-win jump and that first playoff run, the worry is not just about wins. It is about identity. Tennessee built its rise on an offense that could score fast and often. Now, with no clear starter and a key NIL breakup, that identity feels shaky. When the engine of your team stalls, even 8-5 starts to look like a warning sign.

Josh Heupel’s turnaround was immediate in Tennessee. He made an 11-win debut after years of inconsistency, capped by a 2024 playoff appearance. But the Nico Iamaleava situation derailed that momentum. When Iamaleava’s NIL demands couldn’t be met, the Vols pivoted to App State transfer Joey Aguilar, which was a move that yielded an 8-5 record and exposed offensive vulnerabilities.

Now, they’re at a crossroads once again, giving redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and highly rated freshman Faizon Brandon a chance to win the job. But Josh Heupel isn’t rushing the decision. He’s expected to let both QBs keep competing before settling on a starter after the second fall scrimmage. A breakout QB performance erases offseason anxiety; a disappointing 2026 season deepens scrutiny on Heupel.

“It feels like they’re hanging on a cliff right now,” Jack Crain also added. “You can either lift yourself up, get back on top of the cliff, or you’re going to fall off.”

Heupel’s body of work has earned trust, but expectations have risen with his success, since staying competitive is no longer enough. Fans have seen the program compete for championships, and simply staying competitive is no longer enough. Before the disappointing finish to last season, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in lowering expectations.

“I wouldn’t want low expectations,” he told On3 last December. “That’s part of why I want to be here. We’ll win big.”

The 2026 season now offers him the chance to prove those words were more than offseason optimism.