Greg McElroy Names SEC Contender He Doesn't Have Much Confidence In

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 2:00 PM ET

As the 2025 college football season approaches, several teams are exploring ways to replace key players after strong performances in 2024.

One such team is the Tennessee Volunteers, who achieved a record of 10-3 and made the College Football Playoff for the first time in the school's history.

The Volunteers were powered by a formidable defense, which ranked No. 6 in total defense, No. 29 in pass defense, No. 10 in rush defense and No. 7 in scoring defense.

However, they will need to replace star pass rusher James Pearce Jr., who finished last season with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Additionally, they faced an unexpected setback when star quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred just before the spring game.

The redshirt sophomore and former five-star prospect threw for 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions last year in his first season as a starter.

Despite these challenges, ESPN's Greg McElroy stated on his radio show, "McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning," that he believes the Volunteers have the potential to win the SEC, although he ranks them lower on his list of contenders.

"Of the teams that I listed that I think could do it, Tennessee would be near the bottom for me this year," McElroy said. "Just a lot of turnover from last year. That's okay, sometimes that can be good. But they were pretty dang good last year."

McElroy identified eight teams he believes can win the conference: Georgia, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, Auburn, Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee. He did not rank them, so it's unclear where Tennessee stands in that group.

McElroy is confident that Tennessee's defense will perform well despite losing Pearce Jr., particularly if its secondary and cornerbacks can return to full health.

He emphasized the importance of Jermod McCoy regaining his form after suffering an ACL injury this offseason. McElroy believes the Volunteers' defense must become more complementary to succeed.

Offensively, the team will feel the impact of losing star running back Dylan Sampson, who led the SEC with 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns last season.

Additionally, Tennessee will be without Iamaleava and has lost four of its five starting offensive linemen. The team also lost its top three receivers in terms of receiving yards from last season.

Tennessee's season opener is against the Syracuse Orange at noon ET on Aug. 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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