Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) throws during the second half of the College Football Playoff first round game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Dec. 22, 2024. Ohio State won 42-17. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee Volunteers Have Important Advantage in Conference Play Next Season

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Jonathan Williams | Last updated Jan 13, 2025 9:35 AM ET

The Tennessee Volunteers will have an important advantage in conference play during the 2025 college football season.

The Tennessee Volunteers may have had a disappointing end to their 2024 college football season after a tough loss to Ohio State in the first round of the playoffs, but things are already looking up for next season. The Volunteers lost just two games in conference play last season to Georgia and Arkansas, both of which were on the road. In 2025, Tennessee will play the same SEC teams they played last year and the Volunteers have an important advantage over the majority of their 2025 opponents.

Winning a national title and being successful in the SEC requires more than just one great player on either side of the ball, but quarterback play is arguably the most important factor. Consistency and high-level play at that position go a long way in a program's success.

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava will be returning for his second season as the team's starting quarterback. While the former five-star maybe didn't light up the stat sheet like many thought he would, he proved he is capable of winning games, especially important ones, in this conference. Having a returning starter in 2025 is something that a lot of Tennessee's conference opponents can't say they have coming into this next season.

Georgia's Carson Beck initially was going to the NFL but has now transferred to Miami, Alabama's Jalen Milroe is off to the NFL, Oklahoma's Jackson Arnold hit the portal, Mississippi State's Michael Van Buren hit the portal and Kentucky's Brock Vandagriff recently retired from football.

Having your starting quarterback return for another season is always a bonus, especially when it's someone as talented as Iamaleava. But it's an even bigger advantage when a good portion of your opponents for the upcoming season do not return last season's starter.