After an 11-2 season that propelled Tennessee back into the national spotlight, the Vols will look to build off the successful year in Josh Heupel's third season.

For the team to keep the momentum rolling, there are a handful of players that will be critical for Tennessee.

Here are the top five most important pieces of the Vols in 2023.

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An important position group for Tennessee in 2023 will be its defensive front. With a weak secondary, the Vols will need production from its pair of defensive tackles and edge rushers.

One key piece of the front is senior Tyler Baron. The defensive end has been a factor for the program since his freshman year appearing in every single game and starting in eight.

Now, it is expected Baron takes the next step and turns himself into a potential NFL draft pick. Tennessee will need this to be the case as he attacks around the edge. If he can record five sacks and help set the edge in the run game, the Vols' defense will have a better opportunity to be productive.

Another returning piece who's important on the defensive side of the ball is Aaron Beasley. As the weak-side linebacker, he is free to make big plays in coverage, blitzing and in the run game.

The fifth-year senior led the team in tackles a year ago and has played in every game coached by Heupel at Tennessee.

In the middle of the defense alongside Keenan Pili, Beasley will be looked at as an unquestioned leader. Not only does he need to continue to improve his play on the field, but his leadership needs to rub off on each unit of the defense.

Perhaps the most crucial player on the defensive end is tackle Omari Thomas. He has played in all 26 matches Heupel has coached including starts in each 2022 match and six in 2021.

As a 6-foot-4, 320-pound tackle, he has the ability to get to the quarterback and clog up the run game. As a junior in 2022, Thomas totaled 26 tackles, two sacks, 2.5 TFLs, a forced fumble and even defended four passes.

Similar to Baron, Thomas is now tasked with taking the next step on the defensive line. He is another player who could work his way into being drafted with a productive year. For the team's sake, the better he plays, the better the defense as a whole will be, as well.

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The central piece of the offensive line is manned by Cooper Mays. The center is entering his senior year after starting in each of the previous 19 games he's been healthy for.

However, during fall camp, his injury has brought questions of depth to the forefront. If Mays is out, Ollie Lane will likely slide over from guard to center. However, this leaves a hole at the guard position that will need to be filled. This makes Mays' health even more important as his absence effects the entirety of the unit.

When Mays is on the field, the protection is also better as a whole. He knows how to lead the line and blocks as well as any center in the country. For the first time in school history, he was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2022.

It should be no surprise that the quarterback of one of the highest-powered offenses in the country is the most critical player for the team's overall success. This is even more important with the questions that revolve around Joe Milton III following Hendon Hooker's departure.

In 2021, Milton earned the starting job but lost it after playing at a sub-par level and going down with injury. At the end of 2022, he replaced Hooker and looked improved in the final two matches of the season.

So the burning questions is which Milton will the Vols get? Will it be the loose cannon from 2021 or the dialed-in, accurate one from 2022? If he can't deliver accurate throws and make smart decisions, then Tennessee is in trouble. However, if he hits on big plays, the Vols could win a lot of games.

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