Tennessee was among the three Southeastern Conference programs last year that participated in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
The Volunteers tied Georgia for second in the league standings with a 6-2 record, trailing only Texas at 7-1, but the Bulldogs owned the head-to-head tiebreaker over Tennessee and went on to the SEC championship game and defeated the Longhorns for a second time. According to this year’s preseason publications, however, the 2025 Vols will be hard-pressed to match the successes of a year ago.
Phil Steele predicts Tennessee to finish in a three-way tie for seventh in the SEC race in his 2025 Phil Steele College Football Preview magazine, and he’s on the optimistic side.
“All eyes are on the Vols’ quarterback situation after Nico Iamaleava’s dramatic departure,” Steele wrote in his preview. “Joey Aguilar transferred in to replace him, but while he’s a proven producer throwing the ball, he’s also inclined to turnovers.”
Iamaleava’s departure and Aguilar’s arrival are certain to be dominant topics next Tuesday, when the Vols make their appearance at the annual SEC media days event, which is being held for a third time at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. SEC media days will run Monday through Thursday, with Auburn, Georgia and Texas also taking the stage the same day as Tennessee.