With less than two weeks until college football, the number 13 Tennessee Volunteers appear next on the CFB Top 50 countdown.

It was a very good 2024 campaign for the Vols, though the season did not end the way they would have liked. Still, they made the College Football Playoff for the first time, as did a number of other teams. Their hope is that they can build on some of that momentum in 2025, but they are going to be facing some changes.

2025 Tennessee Volunteers Basic Facts

Head Coach: Josh Heupel (5th season)

2025 Conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)

2024 Record: 10-3 (6-2), 3rd in SEC

Final Resolution of Last Season: Lost in College Football Playoff first round, ranked 9th (AP)

2024 Scoring Offensive Rank: T-12th (35.7)

2024 Scoring Defensive Rank: 7th (16.1)

Tennessee Key Additions and Subtractions

IN – Joey Aguilar, quarterback. Transferred from UCLA/Appalachian State.

IN – Sam Pendleton, offensive lineman. Transferred from Notre Dame.

OUT – Nico Iamaleava, quarterback. Transferred to UCLA.

OUT – James Pearce Jr., defensive end. Drafted by Atlanta in 1st round of 2025 Draft.

OUT – Omarr Norman-Lott, defensive tackle. Drafted by Kansas City in 2nd round of 2025 Draft.

Best Game on the Schedule in 2025

November 22 at Florida. This old rivalry gave us an overtime game last season. Whereas both teams will likely be good this season, the hope is that you’ll get some quality football out of it.

2025 Tennessee Volunteers: Outlook

UCLA and Tennessee swapped starting quarterbacks from last season, with Nico Iamaleava going to UCLA from Tennessee, and Joey Aguilar trading the Rose Bowl for Rocky Top. (Note: Aguilar played his 2024 season at App State and transferred to UCLA in the offseason; however, he never played a game for the Bruins before transferring out to Tennessee.) It made sense, as Iamaleava more or less pushed him out at UCLA, so he went and took his old job. As for Aguilar, he tossed the ball a lot and can throw for a lot of yardage, but the interception bug bites him – he threw 14 in 2024, which was the most in FBS.

They have lost some studs on defense as well, namely James Pearce and Omarr Norman-Lott. Both were drafted into the pros this past spring. Linebacker Arion Carter, who led the Vols in tackles last season, figures to be one of their leaders on defense. However, someone will need to step up in the pass rush, as Pearce and Norman-Lott were the top two in sacks. Tyre West and Josh Josephs seem poised for more production this season, though the latter has missed some time in pre-season practice. (Schumpert, 2025)

At its core, Tennessee is still a good team. They may or may not make the playoff again this year, but I would consider anything below 8 wins as a major disappointment. 9-4 or 10-3, including a bowl game win, seems possible, though it depends on what kinds of contributions the Vols get from their newcomers. They have a lot to live up to from last season, so the pressure is on.

References

2024 Football Cumulative Statistics – University of Tennessee Athletics. (n.d.). University of Tennessee Athletics. https://utsports.com/sports/football/stats

2025 Tennessee Volunteers football depth Chart | Ourlads.com. (n.d.). https://www.ourlads.com/ncaa-football-depth-charts/depth-chart/tennessee/91993

CFbStats.com – 2024 National team leaders. (n.d.-c). https://cfbstats.com/2024/leader/national/team/offense/split01/category09/sort01.html

CFbStats.com – 2024 National team leaders. (n.d.-d). https://cfbstats.com/2024/leader/national/team/defense/split01/category09/sort01.html

Schumpert, R. (2025, August 3). Pair Of Projected Tennessee Football Starters Sidelined During Open Portions Of Sunday’s Practice. Rocky Top Insider. https://www.rockytopinsider.com/2025/08/03/mike-matthews-josh-josephs-sidelined-during-tennessee-football-practice/

Wikipedia contributors. (2025n, July 20). 2025 Tennessee Volunteers football team. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Tennessee_Volunteers_football_team