Tennessee Volunteers Listed Outside of Top-15 in Latest Preseason Top 25

The Tennessee Volunteers were listed out of ESPN's top 15 in their latest preseason top 25 rankings.

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel watches the game in the first half at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers were listed out of ESPN's top 15 in their latest preseason top 25 rankings.

Spring practice is approaching rapidly for college football programs all over the country. Teams will be preparing for the 2025 college football season and for the Tennessee Volunteers, that means getting ready to make another run at the college football playoff. According to the latest preseason top 25 rankings though, that may be more of an uphill battle than what people think for Tennessee.

In ESPN's latest way-too-early top 25 rankings, the Volunteers came in at No. 19. Some notable teams ranked ahead of them were the Florida Gators, the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Indiana Hoosiers and Illinois.

The article specifically discussed season defining games for each top 25 program, and for Tennessee it was the road trip to Alabama for the 2025 season. The Volunteers have won two of the last three against the Crimson Tide, but their most recent loss came in Tuscaloosa.

The Volunteers do return starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava, which creates a lot of optimism around Tennessee heading into next season, but they also have to replace a good chunk of production on both sides of the ball. Most notably, running back Dylan Sampson, wide receiver Bru McCoy, wide receiver Squirrel White, wide receiver Dont'e Thornton and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. are all either heading to the NFL or are with a new college football program.

Making the college football playoff in 2024 was a step in the right direction for head coach Josh Heupel and his program, but it doesn't appear the national media is as high on Tennessee heading into this next season.

OTHER TENNESSEE NEWS

• Dalton Knecht Speaks For First Time Since Lakers-Hornets Trade
• Six Tennessee Volunteers Invited to Participate in 2025 NFL Combine
• Tennessee Basketball Fans React to Devastating Loss Against Kentucky
• Tennessee Baseball Player Files Lawsuit Against NCAA
• Tennessee Football - Who Will Nico Iamaleava Be Throwing to in 2025?
• Former Vol OL Trey Smith Faces Pricey Decision Concerning His Future with Chiefs
• Tony Vitello Announces Starting Pitchers For Opening Weekend Series for Tennessee Baseball
• Fans React to Dalton Knecht's Rare NBA Trade Timeline
• Jon Gruden Returning To Tennessee For Coaching Clinic

Join The Community:

• Follow Caleb Sisk On Twitter: @CalebSisk_
• Follow Tanner Johnson On Twitter: @JohnsonTanner23_
• Follow Blake Schowalter On Twitter: @BlakeSchowalte1
• Follow Jonathan Williams On Twitter: @DR_JWill
• Follow Evan Crowell On Twitter: @EvanVCrowell
• Follow John Anthony On Twitter: @JAntSports

Follow Our Website

Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI.