Volunteer Country

Tennessee Ranked Amongst the Best Football Programs in the SEC by CFB Analyst

Tennessee comes in at number four in Josh Pate’s SEC football program rankings. An impressive ranking among some of the best programs in the nation.
Liam Dreesen|
Nov 2, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel reacts after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel reacts after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Angelina Alcantar/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee comes in at number four in Josh Pate’s SEC football program rankings. An impressive ranking among some of the best programs in the nation.

The Tennessee Volunteers were ranked in the number four spot finishing just behind rivals Alabama in CFB Analyst Josh Pate's latest Top-10 ranking of SEC Members. The ranking was based on a “four-year rolling blend of talent acquisition, on-field results, and program resources/dependability.”

So where does Tennessee fall in all of these categories? Let's take a look. 

Talent Acquisition

The Volunteers have done a great job acquiring talent through recruiting. Over the past four years, they have had the 11th, 13th, 11th and 23rd-ranked recruiting classes according to 247Sports. 

During this stretch, they received commitments from three five-stars, one in each of the last three classes. Their highest-rated recruit was quarterback Nico Iamaleava who was ranked as the second-best player nationally. 

In 2022, the only year they didn’t get a five-star, the Volunteers top-rated recruit was James Pearce Jr. who is projected to be a first-round pick in this year's NFL draft. So even in their worst year of the four-year stretch the Volunteers were able to acquire a first-round draft pick.

Josh Heupel and the Volunteers have proven they are among the best teams in the SEC at recruiting over the past four years. 

On-field Results

The Volunteers are 37-15 over the past four years. They have made a bowl game every year and have a College Football Playoff appearance. In those postseason games, they have a record of 2-2. 

During this stretch, they have been ranked as high as number one by the College Football Playoff Committee and have finished ranked in the top ten of the final AP poll twice. The Volunteers have only failed to be ranked in the final AP poll in one of those four years.

The Volunteers have multiple signature wins over the past four years, the most important of which was their instant classic win against Alabama in 2022. However, the Volunteers have also failed to get over the hump and make a deep postseason run which keeps them below teams like Alabama and Georgia in Pate’s ranking. 

Program resources/dependability 

Tennessee is among the best in the nation when it comes to the resources available to them. 247Sports ranked the Volunteers facility as the 19th best in the nation and with additional upgrades on the way they could see a bump on this list soon. 

The Volunteers are also among the nation's top spenders in NIL. 247Sports ranks their collective as the 14th best in the country with a valuation of $500 million. This allows them to attract some of the best recruits and transfers in the country. 

I don’t know exactly what Pate was looking for in this category but these two things seem to fit the bill. Overall the Volunteers are once again among the best teams in the SEC in this category, but fall just a couple steps short of the top dogs.

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Liam Dreesen
LIAM DREESEN

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