Tennessee’s first test of the season will come in Charlotte during week two. The Volunteers will make the short trip east to face the NC State Wolfpack at Bank of America Stadium in the Duke’s Mayo Classic.
Per an official announcement today, kickoff has been set for 7:30 p.m. ET. ABC will have the coverage on September 7th.
Tennessee will open with Chattanooga on August 31st in Knoxville. NC State will open on August 29th against Western Carolina.
The Wolfpack are coming off of a 9-3 mark last season, and like so many in the transfer portal era, have retooled ahead of the 2024 season. Head coach Dave Doeren (remember him?) found an upgrade at quarterback, landing veteran Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina. His staff was also able to add Ohio State transfer Noah Rogers at receiver, while also picking up tight end Justin Joly from UConn.
It’s obviously early, but Tennessee has been installed as a five-point favorite in this matchup.
The Volunteers haven’t played NC State since 2012, which was a Tyler Bray-led 35-21 victory in the old Georgia Dome. Before that, the only meetings were back in 1939 and 1911. Tennessee holds a 2-1 advantage in the series.
Tennessee football tied for most active quarterbacks in the NFL
Tennessee football has a rich history in college football and the NFL. The Vols have a big footprint in American football history, from its four national championships to sending Hall of Famers to the league.
The Vols want to make more history with its current NFL players. Tennessee has three quarterbacks in the NFL, which is tied for the most of any college football program. VFLs Joshua Dobbs, Hendon Hooker, and now Joe Milton are the three Tennessee quarterbacks in the league.
Eight college football programs sit at the top, tied for the top spot with the most active NFL quarterbacks. The Vols are tied with Alabama, Georgia, Houston, North Carolina, North Dakota State, Oklahoma, and Oregon.
Tennessee’s quarterbacks in the NFL are fairly young. Dobbs is the only quarterback with starting experience since joining the league in 2018, but Hooker and Milton are still getting their career started as they develop and compete for playing time.
It will be a few years before Tennessee likely sends another quarterback into the league. Nico Iamaleava looks like he will be the next quarterback in the NFL from Tennessee and could be a headline QB in his draft class.
While we will have to wait to see how Nico’s career plays out in college before sending him to the NFL, we can look forward to seeing three VFLs compete for playing time at quarterback with three great franchises.
Dobbs signed a one-year, $2.25 million contract with the San Fransisco 49ers and will serve as Brock Purdy’s backup for the 2024 season. Hooker is preparing for year two as the Detroit Lions backup QB, working behind Jared Goff, who is entering the final year of his contract with Detroit.
Finally, Milton is coming off the high of being drafted by the New England Patriots and is preparing to battle with Drake Maye for playing time. Milton is considered the dark horse for that job, with Maye being the second quarterback drafted this year, but could make waves throughout camp.
