Tennessee was the talk of the 2025 college football transfer portal cycle for all the wrong reasons as quarterback Nico Iamaleava departed from the program in arguably the most confounding saga of the spring. The Volunteers had to adjust late in the offseason, and they now carry a quarterback competition into camp as they seek a return to the College Football Playoff with a new signal-caller. GoVols247 expert Patrick Brown joined Bud Elliott on the Cover 3 College Football Summer School series to preview expectations for the Volunteers this fall.
What are the stakes for Tennessee in 2025?
Roster turnover defined the offseason, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, as Tennessee lost most of its biggest names to the NFL and the portal. A wave of injuries ravaged the depth chart, as well. What is left behind is a largely unproven squad that needs players to step up in order to fuel a return to the playoff.
“Instability is probably the way I would describe this offseason,” Brown said. “Now it’s the challenge of how do (Josh) Heupel and this staff and this team keep things on the tracks? Because 30 wins in three seasons … they’ve had a lot of success. Now they’ve gotta certainly answer some questions and keep things rolling.”
The Heupel era has been a fruitful one with no fewer than nine wins in any of the last three seasons. That is the new standard for the Volunteers, who reached the playoff for the first time in 2024 but fell quickly out of the bracket when they ran into the Ohio State buzzsaw. A step back into the middle of the SEC would be a disappointment but perhaps not unexpected given the adversity this offseason brought to Knoxville.
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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/tennessee-football-2025-win-total-cfp-outlook-and-how-volunteers-can-bounce-back-from-nico-iamaleava-saga/
Author : Carter Bahns
Publish date : 2025-07-25 13:56:00
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