KNOXVILLE — Summer keeps dragging. The kids still aren’t back in school. Recently in the Southeast the temperature gauge has read magma. I’m stuck watching the reincarnation of “SlamBall.”

Football can’t get here soon enough.

But I have good news … because there is a glimmer of hope. Talking season has already begun with SEC Media Days disrupting bachelorette parties in Nashville and fall camps are ready to start across the country. The 2023 college football season is only a few weeks away.

Plus … to speak a line from Texas football … Tennessee is back!

The 2022 Vols put together their best season in 2 decades, and now we wait to see what they can do for an encore.

Here are 10 reasons why I’m excited for Tennessee’s upcoming season.

1. Joe Milton

What a long, strange trip it has been for Milton. From Michigan transfer to Tennessee’s starting QB, to 2 years backing up Hendon Hooker and finally to offensive Orange Bowl MVP, the 23-year-old Milton now gets a 6th and final season in college football to lead a program.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen clips of Milton doing backflips, throwing a football 80+ yards and leaping flat-footed over Neyland Stadium. You can’t convince me all those things aren’t true.

The hype around what Milton can do this season is ridiculous. And for good reason. We’ll find out if he can live up to it.

2. The South Carolina game

That game will haunt Tennessee fans for a long time. Their 63-38 loss in Columbia ended UT’s chance to make the College Football Playoff. Hendon Hooker tore his ACL in that game as well, adding injury to insult.

The Gamecocks played the role of spoiler and have not been shy about celebrating that accomplishment. Vols players and fans haven’t forgotten, nor has Tennessee coach Josh Heupel. Neyland Stadium should be at a fever pitch for the rematch on Sept. 30.

Thanks to SEC expansion in 2024, this will be the final time these teams meet on an annual basis for the foreseeable future.

3. Bru McCoy

For my money, Bru McCoy’s catch that preceded Chase McGrath’s field goal to beat Alabama is one of the biggest catches in the history of Tennessee football. With all that pressure, knowing he was about to get popped, to hang on and get down to stop the clock … it was a play that should be remembered by Tennessee fans for generations.

McCoy had 52 catches for 667 yards and 4 scores a year ago. With Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman taking their talents to the NFL, McCoy will be more of a focus in this offense.

4. The running attack

Tennessee’s high-flying pass game gets most of the attention, so the rushing attack often gets overlooked. That does a disservice to Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small. The Vols’ top 2 running backs from a year ago, they combined for 1,609 yards and 23 TDs.

The emergence of Dylan Sampson shouldn’t be overlooked either, after he averaged nearly 7 yards a carry in limited action last season.

Tennessee averaged 199.5 rushing yards a game in 2022. That was 6th in the SEC — and ahead of Alabama and LSU, ahem.

5. Squirrel White

Jalin Hyatt was the Vols’ big-play threat last season. Now that he’s with the NY Giants, the Vols will look to sophomore Squirrel White to help fill those gaps.

Like Hyatt, White is ridiculously fast. His ability to stretch the field gives Milton a chance to show off his bazooka of a right arm and softens the middle of the secondary for McCoy, Ramel Keyton and others to make plays.

White averaged 16 yards a catch in 2022, tops amongst SEC freshmen.

6. Keenan Pili

The transfer market has allowed Tennessee to get some help this off season, and the best of the bunch is former BYU linebacker Keenan Pili. A 4-year starter, he registered 190 tackles as a Cougar.

With Jeremy Banks departing and Juwan Mitchell transferring to Arizona State, there are snaps to be had in the linebacking corps. Pili should start from the jump in 2023.

7. Aaron Beasley

Speaking of linebackers, Aaron Beasley returns for a 5th and final season. He has emerged as one of the leaders on this defense. He has 169 career tackles and was named defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl after a dominating 12-tackle and 2-sack performance against Clemson.

Beasley led the Vols in tackles (76) and tackles for loss (13) a year ago.

8) The Alabama game

Fifteen years, 15 long years. The Vols’ losing streak to the hated Crimson Tide finally ended in 2022. The celebration lasted long into the Knoxville night, and to be frank, hasn’t ended.

This has always been a streaky series. The Vols haven’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2003 (Alabama vacated its 2005 win). Could Tennessee start a winning streak of their own in this rivalry? They haven’t won 2 straight since 2003-04.

9. Neyland atmosphere

When the Vols were stuck in mediocrity, Neyland Stadium wasn’t so intimidating. Yes, they still got some large crowds, but the noise … the atmosphere … the feeling of excitement from the glory days was absent.

Well, the historic structure once again is one of the top venues in the sport. The in-game experience draws rave reviews from visitors and renovations continue. Tennessee gets 7 chances to play at Neyland Stadium this season — highlighted by the Week 12 showdown against Georgia. Heck, they’ve already sold out the UT-San Antonio game.

10. National attention

It’s nice to see Tennessee back in the national spotlight. They were on ESPN College GameDay 3 times a year ago, their games against Alabama and Georgia were among the most watched of the season, and #VolTwitter got into social media brawls with seemingly every other fan base.

Tennessee fans should enjoy their current success even more after so much time in the college football wilderness.