Why There's Doubt About Tennessee Entering 2025 Season

As the Tennessee Volunteers enter the 2025 college football season, it's clear there's obvious doubt nationally about what to expect. We aim to figure out the primary point of that concern.

The Tennessee Volunteers are entering year five under head coach Josh Heupel, and over the last three seasons, they’ve averaged 10.0 wins. Not only are they winning at an extremely high rate, they’ve led the SEC in rushing yards two out of the last three seasons, not to mention a top-10 defense a year ago. 

Fresh off their first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024, one would think things are looking up for the Vols. Yet, following the dramatic departure of QB, Nico Iamaleava, there are doubts about the Vols entering 2025. 

According to FanDuel, the Vols regular season win totals are set at 8.5. The latest Top-25 rankings from ESPN had the Vols unranked. So, where does all this lack of expectation come from? And is it warranted? 

Quarterback Situation 

There’s no doubt that Nico Iamaleava is an extremely talented football player. He made plays with his legs and arm a year ago that warranted the five-star status that he obtained entering college. However, there’s no denying that Tennessee’s passing game struggled a year ago, even with Nico Iamaleava. Sure, they lost a talented prospect, but they lost a 2600-yard thrower and 19 touchdowns. Perhaps what people were most optimistic about was the potential for Iamaleava to get better in year two as a starter at Tennessee. 

With that now gone, the Vols have likely turned to Joey Aguilar. As for Aguilar’s skillset, he’s an ultra-competitive pocket passer. Very unlike Iamaleava. He’s going to stand in the pocket and attempt to deliver strikes downfield, even at the risk of potential turnovers. 

Entering 2025, the quarterback discussion isn’t the primary concern for those who have truly been paying attention to this Tennessee roster. They haven’t been good enough at wide receiver. A concern that’s warranted entering 2025. 

WR, Mike Matthews, has expectations galore as his sophomore season approaches. Chris Brazzell and Braylon Stlley will need to play a veteran presence in an otherwise extremely young group.