Senior Staff Writer/Editor/Host
With a Josh Heupel-coached team, the offense will always have a spotlight focused directly on it. We know a Heupel-coached offense will almost assuredly put up ridiculous numbers throughout the season.
Even by Heupel's standards, Tennessee's “average” offenses have still been among the nation's best. In 2023, the Vols ranked 19th nationally in total offense, while the 2024 offense ranked 15th.
Both offenses were viewed as relatively average compared to the standard Heupel had established in Knoxville during the 2022 and even the 2021 season, to a point.
There is one facet of the offense, however, that Tennessee has struggled to figure out since the historic 2022 season: turning red-zone opportunities into points.
For those unfamiliar, the red zone is classified as the opponent's 20-yard line and the goal line.
In 2023, the Vols ranked 63rd nationally in red-zone scoring percentage (touchdowns and field goals included). Surprisingly, their red-zone scoring percentage at home was actually worse than on the road, at 84% compared to 85.7%.
In 2024, things actually got worse. Tennessee ranked 95th nationally in red-zone scoring percentage, once again performing better on the road than at home. The Vols converted 75.6% of their red-zone opportunities at home, compared to 89.4% on the road.
Most recently, in 2025, things improved slightly compared to 2024, but the Vols still fell short of their 2023 mark, ranking 88th nationally. It was also the first time since 2022 that Tennessee's red-zone scoring percentage was better at home than on the road. The Vols scored on 83.3% of their red-zone trips at home, compared to 79.3% on the road.
For comparison, in the Vols' best red-zone scoring season under Heupel in 2022, Tennessee ranked fourth nationally, converting 97.1% of its red-zone trips at home and 92.0% on the road.
So, what happened? More importantly, how does Josh Heupel fix it? And can it be done with a young quarterback in 2026?
On July 31, 2024, Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert published an article detailing where Heupel and then-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle believed the Tennessee offense needed to improve from 2023. Heupel had this to say:
“A lot of that was red zone, efficiency in the red zone, penalties in the red zone,” Heupel said of the offensive issues in 2023. “We got to be better. We’ve been intentional in our work through that, throughout the course of spring ball. But we got to come back. We got to be a smarter team, be more efficient and effective in that area.”
To Heupel’s point, Tennessee was one of the most penalized teams in the country in 2023. The Vols committed 101 penalties, the fourth-most in the country, for 883 yards.
Obviously, having a young quarterback in either Faizon Brandon or George MacIntyre could traditionally be cause for concern when it comes to avoiding penalties and making the right decisions. However, both quarterbacks have received praise for their football intelligence and ability to process the offense quickly. Heupel described both as “quick-minded,” saying they grasp the offense extremely well.
And to MacIntyre’s credit, he already has a year in the system. Halzle has also praised his development entering his second year.
In my view, Tennessee also hasn't had a processor as elite as Hendon Hooker since 2022, nor has it had a receiver quite like Jalin Hyatt. Don't get me wrong, the Vols have had really good receivers since then, but they haven't had someone capable of putting together a five-touchdown performance and completely changing the outlook of a game the way Hyatt did.
Heading into this season, however, the Vols appear to have a quarterback with a high football IQ, regardless of who wins the job; a veteran running back; an elite offensive line; and a very deep wide receiver room. Heupel has specifically praised both George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon as “quick-minded,” noting that they grasp the offense well and anticipate throwing windows effectively.
Put all of that together, and Tennessee has the pieces to be much more successful in the red zone. The Vols don't need to return to the top five nationally, but getting back into the top 30 would be a significant step forward, and something worth hanging your hat on.
In closing, Tennessee doesn’t need to recreate its 2022 offense to fix its red-zone woes. It simply needs to become more consistent when the field gets tight. With the Vols recently incorporating more bunch and tight sets instead of relying on space to move the football, that could be well within reach.
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