What's Next for Tennessee Football Following Vanderbilt Loss

What is the next steps for the Tennessee Volunteers football program

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel walks off the field after the loss to Georgia in an NCAA college football game on September 13, 2025, Knoxville, Tennessee. | Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers football program is one to note when it comes to the outcome of this season, being a bit up and down. While the season didn't finish very pretty, it is safe to say that the Tennessee Volunteers finished the season better than it really could have gone.

How is this so?

The Vols lost a lot during the transfer portal openings and the NFL Draft, which seemed to damage the team a lot, but in reality, this team has shown that they will be dangerous down the stretch as long as they can keep some of their main pieces. There are three things that they now have to turn their focus to. Here is what the focus will be on.

Bowl Game

Smokey the mascot plays with a young fan's hat at the Vol Walk before a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 29, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In college football, a team that wins six games will be granted an extra game, which is a bowl game. There are many great games that the Vols can play in, and while it isn't the exact thing these fans would want, it is definitely better than missing this as a whole. The Vols walking out with eight wins on the season is a plus (all things considered) and is something to be proud of. With that being said, it is safe to say that the Vols have a lot of their focus on closing this season the way that they would like, which is the opposite of how they closed their regular season.

Early Signing Day

Oakland’s Joel Wyatt (14) catches a pass and runs the ball in for a touchdown during a preseason football scrimmage between Oakland and McCallie at Oakland, on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. | HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers have a lot of talented prospects set to join them, and they will be looking to add some players to that list. Early Signing Day begins on Wednesday, but the conclusion of the event is set to take place around Friday. With that being said, the Tennessee Volunteers will need to do things the right way if they want to add some of these players, but for the most part, the players in the class seem to be all locked in.

Transfer Portal

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) looks around the stadium after losing a NCAA football game between Tennessee and Vanderbilt at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 29, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The transfer portal is something that haunted the Tennessee football program, but they will have a chance to make some noise in this year's edition. They will not only need to get some players, but they will need to keep the players that they have. By the nature of the event, Tennessee will lose some guys, but the Vols will look to make it a bare minimum in this edition.

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