Although first- or second-year players are expected to make up more than half of Tennessee’s projected roster for the 2024 season, the Vols still have a number of seasoned veterans they can count on, both throughout the offseason and come autumn. Nearly four years have passed since the pandemic-affected 2020 season, but college football’s “super seniors” are still very much in place, and Tennessee is profiting from a few senior players who choose to play one more season. Josh Heupel, the head coach, recently praised the influence those nine players have had on the daily grind of the offseason and expressed his liking for what they would bring to the squad and the fall.
Although this year’s senior class is smaller than last year’s, it has the potential to have a greater influence, especially at the line of scrimmage. Tennessee has had comparatively larger senior classes in each of the previous two seasons.
Two return on the defensive line and five on the offensive line make up the Vols’ nine super seniors. Linebacker Keenan Pili and wide receiver Bru McCoy are the non-linemen. John Campbell Jr., an offensive tackle, and Pili will compete in their eighth collegiate football seasons in