Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Joshua Josephs (19) rushes the passer against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Names to Watch for the Tennessee Volunteers During the 2025 College Football Season

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Jonathan Williams | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 11:13 AM ET

A few names to watch for the Tennessee Volunteers this season.

The Tennessee Volunteers will kick their 2025 season off this Saturday at noon against Syracuse. With that, the Vols will also be introducing quite a few new names into the starting rotation this weekend on both sides of the ball. So with that said, here are a few names Tennessee fans should be paying attention to this season.

Travis Smith Jr.

When the wide receiver room gets brought up, most of the attention is turned towards Mike Matthews, Chris Brazzell and Braylon Staley, and for good reason. Those are the expected starters at wide receiver and deserve the attention. However, Smith has the opportunity to crack the lineup as a true freshman and could be an impact player on offense in year one.

Joshua Josephs

The Volunteers had a stud at EDGE over the last few years in the form of James Pearce, but with him in the NFL now, someone else has to step up. Josephs has already seen a good amount of playing time throughout his career and has made five career starts, but what does a season of being the full-time starter look like for him? If he can bring the same disruptive play style that Pearce brought regularly, then Tennessee will be in great shape up front.

Lance Heard

Tennessee lost quite a few names on the offensive line this offseason, but Heard returns as a starter from last season. He played through some injuries last season and when he got healthy, he became a reliable option up front for the Vols. The other four projected starters for Tennessee at offensive line are underclassmen and transfers, so as a returning starter, how impactful can Heard be for the offense this season?