2025 Alabama Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 7: Tennessee

The Third Saturday in October is one of the most underrated rivalries in college football. During Nick Saban's tenure at Alabama, the rivalry nearly felt dormant with the Crimson Tide winning 15 straight matchups over Tennessee from 2007 to 2021.

But if some conidered the rivalry waning, it has racheted back up in intensity with the Volunteers winning two of the last three meetings, including a win last season in Knoxville during Kalen DeBoer's first season as the Alabama head coach.

Will Tennessee keep it up with its first win in Tuscaloosa since 2003, or will DeBoer and the Tide get revenge in Year 2? Tennessee is coming off its first ever College Football Playoff appearance and one of the biggest dramatic storylines of the offseason with the transfer portal saga of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Let's take a closer look at what the Volunteers will bring to Bryant-Denny Stadium this October.

Offense

All throughout spring camp, Iamaleava was going to be Tennessee's returning starter at quarterback, but he entered the transfer portal on April 12 and eventually ended up at UCLA. The Volunteers brought in App State transfer Joey Aguilar to compete with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger for the starting job.

Aguilar had 3,003 yards and 24 passing touchdowns last season at App State, but he also threw 14 interceptions. Because of when Iamaleava left, Tennessee will still have a fresh QB competition going entering fall camp.

Not only will Tennessee be working with a new quarterback, but the Volunteers will have to replace the production of 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year in running back Dylan Sampson, who is now in the NFL. He rushed for nearly 1500 yards and 24 touchdowns last season.

Tennessee does return Sampson's top-two backups: Peyton Lewis (339 yards and three touchdowns in 2024) and DeSean Bishop (455 yards and three touchdowns in 2024.)

The Volunteers' pass catchers will look a lot different with 2024's top-three receivers gone to either the NFL draft or transfer portal. Chris Brazzell is the top returning receiver with 333 yards and two touchdowns a season ago. Former Alabama tight end Miles Kitselman is coming off a strong season for the Vols where he had 301 yards and four touchdowns and will be leading the tight end room in 2025.

Left tackle Lance Heard is the only returning starter up front on the offensive line, but the Vols used the portal to help bolster the line with experience. Wendell Moe Jr. is a redshirt junior transfer from Arizona with starting experience at left guard, and Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton can fill the spot at right guard with highly-rated freshman David Sanders at right tackle.

Tennessee will have a lot of new faces on the offensive side of the ball, but Josh Heupel is known for being an offensive-minded head coach and will likely have things clicking in place by the time the Tide and Volunteers meet in late October.

Defense

Tennessee had one of the best defenses in the country last season and returns eight starters from a unit that was seventh in the nation in scoring defense and sixth in total defense. James Pearce Jr. is the most notable missing piece from last year's unit.

The Vols will be anchored up front by Dominic Bailey, Jaxson Moi and Bryson Eason with Joshua Josephs coming off the edge. Those four players combined for seven sacks in 2024 and will need to step up to replace some of the production lost from Pearce.

At linebacker, Tennessee returns Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander, who finished first and fourth on the team in tackles respectively.

Tennessee's back end is loaded with returning starters, but interception leader Jermod McCoy is working his way back from an ACL injury that could have him missing part of the season after an all-American year in 2024. Sophomore Boo Carter is a breakout candidate at the STAR position, and the Vols have Andre Turrentine returning at safety.

If they can stay healthy, the Volunteers will likely have one of the top defenses in the country in 2025.

Schedule

Tennessee and Alabama truly meet on the third Saturday in October this season, and the Volunteers will have had a relatively easy schedule up until that point outside of a Sept. 13 matchup with Georgia. However, the game against the Bulldogs will be at home inside Neyland Stadium.

Even though this will be Game 7 for the Volunteers, it will be just the second road game with the first coming at Mississippi State on Sept. 27. Starkville can be a tough place to play, but the Bulldogs are coming off a winless SEC season and still in rebuild mode under Jeff Lebby.

Tennessee's schedule lightens considerably after the matchup at Alabama with the toughest remaining game at Florida on Nov. 22. Overall, Tennessee has a pretty favorable schedule. The Vols only Power Four non-conference opponent is a neutral site game with Syracuse in Atlanta to open the season. Because of this, Tennessee might not be able to afford more than two losses in the regular season if it wants to make the CFP for the second straight year.

Outlook

This matchup will be one of the most anticipated games on the schedule for both teams with a lot on the line. As last season showed in the first year of the 12-team format, both teams can likely afford a loss in this game and still make the College Football Playoff, but that doesn't mean either is OK with losing.

The Alabama game will be by far the toughest environment Tennessee will have played in up until that point in the season. Regardless of who wins the starting quarterback job, it will be his first huge, rivalry road game. The Crimson Tide will also have the revenge factor going after losing last season.

Because the game will be played in Bryant-Denny Stadium, the edge belongs to the Tide, but this will be one of the biggest matchups in college football this season with talent all over the field on both sidelines.

The Game

Date: Oct. 18

Time: TBD (2:30-3:30 p.m. OR 5-7 p.m. CT)

TV: TBD

Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium

Series history: Alabama leads, 60-40-7

Last meeting: Tennessee scored 10 unanswered points late in the fourth quarter to beat Alabama, 24-17 at Neyland Field. Alabama took the lead on a Justice Haynes touchdown with 13:56 to go, but the offense struggled on the ensuing four drives to close out the game, capped by a Jalen Milroe interception that sealed the win for the Volunteers.

The Team

Coach: Josh Heupel, fifth season, 37-15 record at Tennessee

Offensive coordinator: Joey Halzle

Defensive coordinator: Tim Banks

2024 record: 10-3 (6-2 SEC)

2024 rankings: Total offense (16th), Total defense (6th)

Returning Starters

14 (three on offense, eight on defense, three on special teams)

Players to Watch

WR Chris Brazzell II, TE Miles Kitselman, LB Arion Carter, DB Jermod McCoy

Top Newcomer:

Consensus five-star David Sanders Jr. is expected to earn the starting job at right tackle as a true freshman

Biggest Question:

Who will win the quarterback competition between Joey Aguilar and Jake Merklinger?

The School

Location: Knoxville, Tennessee

Founded: 1794

Enrollment: 62,148

Nickname: Volunteers

Colors: Orange and White

Mascot: Smokey

The Program

Last time beat Alabama: 2024

Last time won SEC: 1998

National championships: Six (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998)

Playoff Appearances: One (2024)

Conference championships: 16 (1914, 1927, 1932, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1967, 1969, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1997, 1998)

Bowl record: 30-25

Last season missed bowl: 2020

Heisman trophies: None

The Schedule

Aug. 30: vs. Syracuse (Atlanta)
Sept. 6: ETSU
Sept. 13: Georgia
Sept. 20: UAB
Sept. 27: at Mississippi State
Oct. 11: Arkansas
Oct. 18: at Alabama
Oct. 25: at Kentucky
Nov. 1: Oklahoma
Nov. 15: New Mexico State
Nov. 22: at Florida
Nov. 29: Vanderbilt

This is the seventh story in BamaCentral's summer preview series of all 12 regular season opponents for Alabama football in 2025. Ensuing stories will be published throughout June and early July.