Tennessee Football Preview 2025: Volunteers Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players

Tennessee Volunteers Key Player

Joey Aguilar, QB Sr.
Or Jake Merkinger. Aguilar has to take his 25 games of work at Appalachian State and be a playmaker, and he has one thing going for him above all else.

He's not Nico Iamaleava. The Tennessee faithful will embrace him for that.

8.5He’s a good runner, and he bombed away for 6,760 yards and 56 scores over the last two seasons. He has an interception problem, but he’ll wing it around the yard.

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2025 Tennessee Preview
Tennessee Offense Breakdown
Tennessee Defense Breakdown 

Tennessee Volunteers Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Sam Pendleton, OG Soph.
A vital piece of the Notre Dame puzzle when injuries decimated the line for stretches during the run to the national title game, Pendleton has the versatility to play anywhere in the interior - and he’s just getting started. He’s still young, still improving, and the 6-4, 310-pounder should grow into a star.

Top Transfer Out: Nico Iamaleava, QB Soph.
Be careful with that whole “Tennessee is better without him” narrative that came from some sides during his - let’s just put it this way - contract renegotiation attempt. The guy has the size, skills, and all the tools to be special for UCLA, and now he might just be the best quarterback in the Big Ten.

Tennessee Volunteers Key Game

Georgia, Sept. 13
Tennessee 34, Georgia 31. On October 1st, 2016, the Vols beat the Bulldogs, but it was reversed over the last eight meetings. This year, it’s the SEC opener, it’s a home game for Tennessee, and a win would set a tone that this will be a special season if it can pull it off.
- 2025 Tennessee Schedule Breakdown

Tennessee Volunteers Top 10 Players

1. Jermod McCoy, CB Jr.
2. Joshua Josephs, EDGE Sr.
3. Bryson Eason, DT Sr.
4. Lance Heard, OT Jr.
5. Arion Carter, LB Jr.
6. Rickey Gibson III, CB Jr.
7. Miles Kitselman, TE Sr.
8. Boo Carter, S Soph.
9. Rickey Gibson III, CB Jr.
10. Joey Aguilar, QB Sr.

Tennessee Volunteers 2024 Fun Stats

- 4th Down Conversions: Tennessee 11-of-18 (61%), Opponents 7-of-22 (32%)

- 2nd Quarter Scoring: Tennessee 153, Opponents 37

- Tackles for Loss: Tennessee 100 for 354 yards, Opponents 62 for 216 yards

Tennessee Volunteers 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

Just how good will the offense be?

Last year’s team didn’t have a nasty SEC road schedule other than the trip to Georgia, but there was a win over Alabama, a W over Florida, and no apologies - an SEC team went 10-2 before the CFP. That’s good enough.

Things are a bit different this time, but it’s not a terribly difficult slate for an SEC team. The Georgia game is at home, there’s no Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, South Carolina, Texas A&M, or Auburn to deal with, and there’s just one road date in November.

Yes, going to Alabama is a problem, and having to travel to Kentucky the week after hurts, and going to Florida could be a make-or-break moment, but if the offense is as good at running as last year’s was, getting back to ten wins isn’t a wild dream.

But this won’t be like last year. The defense will keep the team in every game, and the special teams will come through in at least one key victory, but there will be one extra misfire this year to miss out on the CFP.

Set The Tennessee Win Total At … 8.5

Likely Wins: ETSU, New Mexico State, UAB, Vanderbilt

50/50 Games: Arkansas, at Florida, Georgia, at Kentucky, at Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Syracuse (in Atlanta),

Likely Losses: at Alabama 

2025 Tennessee Preview
Tennessee Offense Breakdown
Tennessee Defense Breakdown