Tennessee Volunteers
SEC
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #19
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 15.0 (#19)
- SP+ Offense
- 39.3
- SP+ Defense
- 25.4
- SRS
- 11.7
- FPI
- 14.3
- Elo
- 1787
- Talent
- 867
- Recruiting
- —
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
8.0p10 6.0 — p90 10.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 3.3% | |
| Make CFP | 12.5% | |
| Quarterfinal | 5.0% | |
| Semifinal | 1.2% | |
| Natl. final | 0.2% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 8.1–3.9
Schedule
19th
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
18th
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
21st
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsFurman | FCS | 48-3* | +44.9 | 100% | — |
| 2 | @Georgia Tech | +9.3 | 32-26 | +6.0 | 66% | — |
| 3 | vsKennesaw State | -5.4 | 41-8 | +33.1 | 99% | — |
| 4 | vsTexas | +16.2 | 27-29 | -2.0 | 44% | — |
| 5 | vsAuburn | +11.6 | 30-20 | +9.9 | 75% | — |
| 6 | @Arkansas | +5.1 | 30-24 | +5.3 | 64% | — |
| 7 | vsAlabama | +14.8 | 28-26 | +2.4 | 56% | — |
| 8 | @South Carolina | +5.9 | 30-24 | +6.1 | 67% | — |
| 10 | vsKentucky | +1.8 | 34-16 | +18.6 | 90% | — |
| 11 | @Texas A&M | +20.7 | 24-30 | -6.2 | 33% | — |
| 12 | vsLSU | +10.3 | 29-19 | +9.2 | 73% | — |
| 13 | @Vanderbilt | +20.3 | 26-27 | -1.1 | 47% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 4
2026 · 74
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Joey Aguilar | SR | 6'3" | 225 | — |
| QB | 2nd | Ryan Staub← Colorado | SO | 6'1" | 200 | ★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | George MacIntyre | FR | 6'6" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| QB | 4th | Mason Phillips | FR | 6'1" | 180 | — |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | DeSean Bishop | SO | 5'10" | 208 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Star Thomas | SR | 6'0" | 210 | — |
| RB | 3rd | Javin Gordon← Tulane | FR | 5'10" | 200 | ★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Daune Morris | FR | 5'10" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Justin Baker | FR | 5'10" | 210 | ★★★ |
| RB | 6th | Hunter Barnes | JR | 6'0" | 196 | — |
Wide Receivers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Mike Matthews | SO | 6'1" | 200 | ★★★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Braylon Staley | FR | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Radarious Jackson | FR | 6'2" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 4th | Braylon Harmon | FR | 5'9" | 185 | — |
| WR | 5th | Joakim Dodson | FR | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Travis Smith Jr. | FR | 6'3" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Nathan Roberts | SO | 6'4" | 214 | — |
| WR | — | Ian Duarte← Idaho State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Miles Kitselman | SR | 6'5" | 255 | — |
| TE | 2nd | Ethan Davis | SO | 6'5" | 245 | ★★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Dasaahn Brame | FR | 6'4" | 230 | — |
| TE | 4th | Trent Thomas← South Alabama | SO | 6'5" | 254 | ★★★ |
| TE | 5th | Cole Harrison | FR | 6'5" | 238 | — |
| TE | — | Drake Martinez← UT Martin | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 2
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OL | — | David Sanders Jr. | FR | 6'6" | 305 | ★★★★★ |
| OT | — | Ory Williams← LSU | FR | 6'8" | 335 | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 16
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Daevin Hobbs | JR | 6'4" | 290 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 2nd | Dominic Bailey | SR | 6'3" | 292 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Tyree Weathersby | SO | 6'5" | 265 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 4th | Bryson Eason | SR | 6'3" | 315 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Xavier Gilliam← Penn State | FR | 6'2" | 302 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Nathan Robinson | SO | 6'6" | 300 | — |
| DL | 7th | Jaxson Moi | SR | 6'2" | 305 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Mariyon Dye | FR | 6'5" | 264 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 9th | Charles House III | FR | 6'3" | 295 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 10th | Ethan Utley | FR | 6'3" | 270 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 11th | Carson Gentle | FR | 6'3" | 256 | — |
| DL | 12th | Christian Gass | FR | 6'3" | 217 | ★★★★ |
| DL | 13th | Mike Bethea II | JR | 6'1" | 215 | — |
| DL | 14th | Isaiah Campbell | FR | 6'4" | 282 | ★★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Jordan Norman← Tulane | SO | 6'4" | 249 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 2nd | Chaz Coleman← Penn State | FR | 6'4" | 240 | ★★★★★ |
Linebackers · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Amare Campbell← Penn State | JR | 6'0" | 231 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Edwin Spillman | FR | 6'1" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Arion Carter | JR | 6'1" | 235 | — |
| LB | 4th | Jeremiah Telander | JR | 6'2" | 235 | — |
| LB | 5th | Ben Bolton | JR | 6'3" | 233 | — |
| LB | 6th | Jaedon Harmon | FR | 6'0" | 215 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 7th | Jadon Perlotte | FR | 6'4" | 210 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 8th | Jordan Burns | FR | 6'1" | 224 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 9th | Ryan Scott | FR | 6'0" | 218 | — |
Defensive Backs · 18
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Kayin Lee← Auburn | JR | 5'11" | 180 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Isaiah Hardge← Colorado | SO | 5'10" | 165 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Jadais Richard← Miami | SR | 6'1" | 195 | ★★★ |
| CB | 4th | Tevis Metcalf← Michigan | SO | 5'10" | 198 | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Edrees Farooq | SO | 6'0" | 200 | — |
| DB | 2nd | Andre Turrentine | SR | 5'11" | 195 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 3rd | Jalen McMurray | SR | 6'0" | 187 | ★★★ |
| DB | 4th | Ty Redmond | FR | 6'2" | 192 | — |
| DB | 5th | Tre Poteat | FR | 6'0" | 190 | ★★★★ |
| DB | 6th | William Wright | SR | 6'0" | 198 | ★★★★★ |
| DB | 7th | Sidney Walton | FR | 6'1" | 196 | — |
| DB | 8th | Timothy Merritt | FR | 6'1" | 185 | ★★★ |
| DB | 9th | Montrell Bandy | SR | 6'3" | 194 | — |
| DB | 10th | Dylan Lewis | FR | 6'0" | 187 | ★★★ |
| S | 1st | DJ Burks← App State | JR | 6'0" | 200 | ★★★ |
| S | 2nd | TJ Metcalf← Michigan | JR | 6'1" | 200 | ★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Qua Moss← Kansas State | JR | 5'10" | 185 | ★★★ |
| S | 4th | Dejuan Lane← Penn State | SO | 6'2" | 212 | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 5
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 1st | Cooper Ranvier← Louisville | FR | 6'2" | 200 | — |
| LS | 1st | Bennett Brady | JR | 6'1" | 210 | — |
| LS | — | Blake Howard← Eastern Kentucky | — | — | — | — |
| P | 1st | Jackson Ross | JR | 6'4" | 205 | ★★ |
| PK | 1st | Josh Turbyville | JR | 6'2" | 200 | — |
Season History · last 12
3 AP top-10 · 9 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8-4 | 4-4 | #19 | #11 | 0-1 |
| 2024 | 10-2 | 6-2 | #9 | #4 | 0-1 |
| 2023 | 8-4 | 4-4 | #14 | #9 | 1-0 |
| 2022 | 10-2 | 6-2 | #5 | #2 | 1-0 |
| 2021 | 7-5 | 4-4 | #10 | — | 0-1 |
| 2020 | 3-7 | 3-7 | #63 | — | — |
| 2019 | 7-5 | 5-3 | #29 | — | 1-0 |
| 2018 | 5-7 | 2-6 | #48 | — | — |
| 2017 | 4-8 | 0-8 | #67 | — | — |
| 2016 | 8-4 | 4-4 | #15 | — | 1-0 |
| 2015 | 8-4 | 5-3 | #12 | — | 1-0 |
| 2014 | 6-6 | 3-5 | #30 | — | 1-0 |
Recruiting Classes
avg #13 · 126 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★202 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11 | 278 | 1 | 16 | 4 |
| 2024 | #14 | 267 | 2 | 11 | 4 |
| 2023 | #10 | 277 | 1 | 13 | 6 |
| 2022 | #18 | 233 | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| 2021 | #16 | 240 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 2020 | #10 | 262 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| 2019 | #13 | 269 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
| 2018 | #21 | 231 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
| 2017 | #17 | 237 | 1 | 5 | 13 |
| 2016 | #14 | 254 | 0 | 8 | 5 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 21net -8Out 29
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.2 / 3.3
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Chaz Coleman | EDGE | 5★ | ← Penn State |
| ▲ | Xavier Gilliam | DL | 4★ | ← Penn State |
| ▲ | Kayin Lee | CB | 3★ | ← Auburn |
| ▲ | Dejuan Lane | S | 3★ | ← Penn State |
| ▼ | Lance Heard | OT | 4★ | → Kentucky |
| ▼ | Rickey Gibson III | CB | 4★ | → Texas A&M |
| ▼ | Jordan Ross | EDGE | 4★ | → LSU |
| ▼ | Boo Carter | S | 4★ | → Colorado |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- 2026 Tennessee football preview: David Sanders Jr.2026 Tennessee football preview: Offensive lineman David Sanders Jr.TENN1h
- Josh Heupel likely to absorb a loss to Shane Beamer, but it shouldn't be too much of a surprise for TennesseeTennessee could be on the verge of losing a target they once were in a good spot with.TENN2h
- 2027 Three-Star LB Jackson Ross Commits to South CarolinaSouth Carolina stays hot on the recruiting trail with their fourth addition to the class of the week. Three-star linebacker Jackson Ross announces his commitmen
- 2026 Tennessee football preview: Jesse Perry2026 Tennessee football preview: Offensive lineman Jesse Perry
- Former NFL MVP Cam Newton is quietly influencing the Tennessee Vols' future offense under Josh HeupelFormer NFL MVP and Carolina Panthers legend Cam Newton is quietly influencing the Tennessee Vols' future offense under Josh Heupel -- though he probably doesn't even realize it.TENN1d
- Texas vs Tennessee matchup deeper than alma mater for Peyton ManningPeyton Manning was extremely noncommittal in who he was rooting for in Texas vs Tennessee, but does say family is most important.TENN2d
- Peyton Manning says picking between Tennessee, Texas will be a ‘no-brainer’Peyton Manning will not have trouble picking between his alma mater and his nephew's Texas Longhorns when they play this fall. The post Peyton Manning says picking between Tennessee, Texas will be a ‘no-brainer’ appeared first on Saturday Down South.TENN2d
- SEC football recruiting rankings after Marcus Jones' commitmentUpdated 2027 SEC football recruiting rankings after Marcus Jones' commitment to Tennessee.TENN2d
- Three things that must go right for Tennessee football in 2026A look ahead to this fall.TENN2d
- Tennessee duo earns spot on Athlon Sports Preseason All-America TeamTennessee was well-represented as Athlon Sports released its elite players for the 2026 season, which will begin in just a few months. The post Tennessee duo earns spot on Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Team appeared first on Saturday Down South.TENN2d
- Tennessee football lands 4-star safety Marcus Jones, nephew of former Vols starFour-star safety Marcus Jones, the nephew of former Vols standout Mark Jones, has committed to Tennessee football.TENN3d
- 2027 Pennsylvania safety commits to Tennessee footballA 2027 four-safety from Pennsylvania commits to Tennessee football over three other schools.TENN3d
- Tennessee beats Michigan, Ole Miss and UNC for four-star safety Marcus JonesHaverford School (Pa.) Rivals300 safety Marcus Jones has committed to Tennessee. The four-star prospect chose to play for head coach Josh Heupel and the Vols over his other finalists in Michigan, Ole Miss and North Carolina. “Tennessee has shown me constant love,” Jones told Rivals. “The new staff coming in is looking to make an […]TENN3d
- Tennessee baseball adds Baylor IF, Wright State OF out of transfer portalTennessee baseball added a commitment from a former Wright State outfielder. The post Tennessee baseball adds Baylor IF, Wright State OF out of transfer portal appeared first on Saturday Down South.TENN3d
- Tennessee parts ways with star transfer, per reportTennessee has reportedly parted ways with one of its top transfer additions, saying he has been 'medically disqualified' from the roster. The post Tennessee parts ways with star transfer, per report appeared first on Saturday Down South.TENN3d
- Butch Jones leaves no doubt how he feels about Knoxville and Tennessee nearly 10 years after he was firedFormer Tennessee Vols head coach Butch Jones reflected this week on his time at Rocky Top and made it clear how he feels about Knoxville.TENN3d
- Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs see value in a player that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols apparently didn'tKirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are betting that their evaluation of a 2027 recruit is better than the Tennessee Vols' evaluation.TENN3d
- Two Tennessee starters received an honor from a popular college football video game, and one might not be who many fans would expectEA Sports is gearing up for the latest release of College Football 27, and not too many Vols are getting high-end love from the game developer.TENN4d
- 4-star defensive lineman backs out of Tennessee commitmentKadin Fife is having second thoughts about joining the Volunteers in 2027.TENN4d
- 2026 Tennessee football preview: Shamurad Umarov2026 Tennessee football preview: Offensive lineman Shamurad Umarov