The Train Daddy is back with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard!

It never fails to amaze me how quickly life seems to fly by. The madness of March has just wrapped up and, as we head into April, we look to the beauty of another Tennessee summer! It’s near perfection here in the Yee-Yee, minus the flying insects and sticky humidity—the best state in America, bet that!

It was tough watching Rick Barnes’ squad get smashed by Houston in the Elite 8. Another year added to the UT resume and still no Final 4 appearances, as the haters remind us Vols fans often.

There is disappointment in that loss, but have no doubt, there is also achievement to be celebrated. I would have preferred a historic advancement, but making it to the Elite 8 in back-to-back years is no small thing, and knocking Kentucky out of the tournament this year was beautiful for the Vols.

This basketball team will look very different next season. I feel like I have been watching Zakai Zeigler play ball for a decade! The beloved point guard certainly will be missed next year in Knoxville.

This has been one of the best stretches in Vols basketball history under Coach Rick Barnes. How many more years does the 70-year-old coach have left in the tank? Coach Barnes is a rare breed of coach in this new era of college basketball. The man still finds success and seems to genuinely love the game even with this massive evolution of college basketball from NIL to the transfer portal. I can appreciate that in Barnes, because many of the older dogs refused to learn new tricks and yet here he is grinding and still finding success.

Vols basketball certainly will have to find younger blood sooner rather than later, but I’ll ride the Barnes train for as long as he is willing to lead this team.

I love Vol Nation and the energy this fandom brings. This school has truly been put on the map as a contender in every sport. The athletic department in Knoxville has been putting in work and it shows in competition. From football to basketball to baseball and everything in between, there is pride in Big Orange that will only continue to grow.

Alright, enough Tennessee Vols talk; let’s move on to some Tennessee Titans talk. The NFL Draft is nearing, set to take place in 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, at Lambeau Field.

Round 1 begins on Thursday, April 24, with rounds 2 and 3 the following day and rounds 4 through 7 taking place on Saturday the 26th. College football’s top prospects will be selected by the league’s 32 teams, with a total of 257 players being selected.

The selection order is the reverse order of finishing place from the previous season. That means the team that sucked the most starts with the number one pick! It just so happens our Tennessee Titans were that team.

I am a massive sports fan, that’s no secret. I have love for Vols athletics to the Nashville Predators to the Atlanta Braves. I often find myself at MTSU games cheering loudly for the hometown ’Boro squad. Catch me at a Sounds game or a Nashville Soccer Club match. Passion follows me!

But nothing would come close to mattering to me as much as the Titans winning it all. That would be the crown jewel of my fandom and something I pray I can experience before I check out.

Twenty-plus years of almost never missing a Titans game, cheering with family and friends who are almost as crazy as me. Some of those people aren’t with us anymore. Rest in peace! When the fandom hits that hard, there certainly will be a feeling of completion if the Titans can ever deliver.

Enough of all that emotional stuff! Who will the Tennessee Titans take with the number one overall pick in less than a month? I feel, as does just about every Titans fan out there, that the writing is on the wall and it’s all but official: Cam Ward, quarterback out of Miami, will be the number one pick.

Abdul Carter, Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, or even trading the pick away may have been given some odds early on, but I feel like they are shrinking to nothing. Cam Ward excelled in his recent pro day as scouts around the league were left in awe. He has taken the number one spot on nearly every expert’s board for good reasons.

The kid is poised and has an arm. This isn’t a case similar to the Colts’ QB Anthony Richardson, the glorified combine quarterback who did very little onfield in college. Sure, he ran fast and jumped high at the combine and was overhyped to the moon. AR has been brought back down to earth, though, struggling to complete 50% of his passes with a play style that equals injury. I don’t care how young AR is or what development is needed, the kid has a noodle for an arm and heavily relies on his feet.

I would 100% take Will Levis to start another season over the likes of AR. What’s crazy is that statement is a controversial sports take for many people. The Titans didn’t attempt to revamp the offense under year-two Levis for no reason. Levis at least showed some promise as a rookie, even if he appears to have a jelly bean for a brain and a lack of situational awareness.

I don’t think Levis is the answer as a franchise QB1, but I do believe he has staying power in the league as a potential journeyman. Regardless of how I feel about Levis and giving him another year to develop here or not, I believe the Titans are done with him.

It could be worse; you could be the Colts, stuck with AR for another year and bringing in Daniel Jones to babysit. Mark my words, Daniel Jones will steal that job from AR soon, and that’s just a testament to how bad AR is.

So, be excited Titan nation! I get that we have problem areas all over this team. You don’t end up with the worst record in the NFL if that’s not the case.

My money is on the team bringing in this exciting young QB who very well could become the face of this franchise right on the heels of opening that big, beautiful new stadium.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 223-pound QB out of Miami possesses one of the best arms in football. This kid puts top-level velocity on his throws. Arm strength isn’t just about how far downfield you can launch it. Many experts would argue velocity is even more important with some of the shorter throws, allowing you to hit those tight windows quickly.

Cam Ward; photo by Eric Espada, University of Miami Athletics

Cam isn’t a log in the pocket, either, when things break down. He can make plays out of nothing. His athletic ability to get out of tough situations will have fans falling in love quickly. I think most Titans fans will appreciate a QB who can thrive in the pocket, and Cam showed he has that ability to be a natural, accurate passer. This should pair nicely with his ability to take off and run if need be.

Cam is the full package and it’s easy to see. This franchise has a rough history with QBs. Ryan Tannehill gave us some good, and some bad, memories, and I miss him at times. The truth is, the last real QB this franchise had was Steve McNair, and that was far too many years ago.

This franchise is thirsty for a young signal caller who can thrive and give hope to the future. I don’t blame any Titans fan for feeling that way and leaning towards Cam Ward, the obvious front-runner at QB in this draft class.

Time is ticking away, and I am sure the speculation will ramp up until the Titans finally take the stage April 24 and make a decision.

Alright, that’s all I have for you! I am looking forward to the next issue that comes out right after the conclusion of the draft. I will be able to break down all the picks and look at the state of the team after the draft. The Train is rolling into the station. Titan Up!