The Tennessee football program is set for a big year after an impressive 2022 season. The Volunteers finished 11-2 with an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson, and one of those losses came to Georgia, who wound up winning the national title. With lofty expectations for 2023  and Joe Milton set to be the starting quarterback, Tennessee Peyton Manning, who is returning to Knoxville as a professor, gave a ringing endorsement of Josh Heupel's offense, per Chris Low of ESPN.

‘Lotta debate about what @coachjoshheupel‘s offense is/isn't. Peyton Manning was direct when I asked him. “It just works. It's effective. Look, good coaches run the offense and recruit players that can execute that offense. That's the system, how it works, and you build off that.”‘ 

The Vols finished 3rd in points per game (46.1) and 3rd in yards per game (525.5) as Hendon Hooker electrified the country. He threw for 3,135 yards with 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions, adding another 430 yards and five scores in the rushing game before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in November.

Now, Joe Milton is taking over for the Tennessee football program as the quarterback, and the offense that Josh Heupel runs showed they are talented enough to hang around in the tough SEC.

The Vols begin the season on September 2 against Virginia and then face Austin Peay the week after, with both games being at Rocky Top. After finishing 2nd in the SEC East a year ago, the expectations are high once again, and Peyton Manning's comments on the offense run by Heupel will surely have fans and players feeling good ahead of the 2023 season.