Tennessee Football 2025 Season Preview: Way-Too-Early Predictions, Odds & Schedule

After one of the most successful seasons in school history, the Tennessee Volunteers met an abrupt end with a 42-17 loss to Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

The expectations will be higher for Josh Heupel in his fifth year in Knoxville after winning 10 games behind freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Even with some key stars expected to be high picks by the 2025 NFL Draft odds, Tennessee should return enough talent to make a run at its first SEC and national title since 1998.

We're breaking it all down in our Tennessee football 2025 season preview with way-too-early predictions, odds, schedule, and transfer portal updates.

Tennessee football title odds 2025

Live updated college football odds from our best college football betting sites.

We're still awaiting the opening odds for next year's college football championship odds, but we expect Tennessee will open among the favorites after making the College Football Playoff this past season.

The Volunteers opened at +4000 odds ahead of the 2024 season, and they finished third in the SEC standings behind only Texas and Georgia - two teams that will surely top the early title oddsboard in 2025. I'd be surprised if that number for Tennessee isn't closer to +2000 entering next season.

Assuming Iamaleava returns for a second season in Heupel's offense surrounded by an explosive supporting cast, this should be one of the most dangerous teams in the country. That's especially true if Tennessee's deep defensive front can collectively offset the loss of James Pearce Jr. - a potential top-10 pick - in the pass rush.

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2025 Tennessee football offseason preview

Projected roster movement as of Saturday, Dec. 21 and subject to change. All prospect rankings and positions courtesy of .

2025 Tennessee football key returning players (projected)

• Nico Iamaleava, QB
• Chris Brazzell, WR
• Squirrel White, WR
• Dominic Bailey, DE
• Joshua Josephs, DE
• Bryson Eason, DT
• Boo Carter, CB
• Jermod McCoy, CB
• Rickey Gibson, CB
• Andre Turrentine, SS

Iamaleava, the former five-star QB and No. 3 overall prospect in 2023, should be back for his second season starting under center for Tennessee. If both Squirrel White and Dylan Sampson return - which isn't a guarantee, especially for Sampson - this could easily be the most explosive offense in the SEC or even the entire country.

The same upside exists along the defensive line, which will lose a superstar in Pearce but might still be the deepest unit in the nation if starters Dominic Bailey and Joshua Josephs and other key reserves return. And the secondary remains in good shape even with star safety Will Brooks graduating.

2025 Tennessee football key losses, transfer portal updates

• Cam Seldon, RB (transfer portal)
• Dylan Sampson, RB (NFL draft)
• Bru McCoy, WR (graduation)
• Dont'e Thornton Jr., WR (graduation)
• John Campbell, LT (graduation)
• Cooper Mays, C (graduation)
• Javontez Spraggins, RG (graduation)
• James Pearce Jr., DE (NFL draft)
• Omari Thomas, DT (graduation)
• Omarr Norman-Lott, DT (graduation)
• Jalen Smith, LB (transfer portal)
• Will Brooks, FS (graduation)

Pearce is clearly the biggest potential loss of this group, while Sampson is yet to declare whether he'll return for a senior season. Cooper Mays is the most decorated of the four starters who could be gone along Tennessee's offensive line. That doesn't include backup lineman Vysen Lang, who is entering the transfer portal.

The passing attack will lose two crucial pieces in Bru McCoy and Dont'e Thornton, who combined for more than 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns entering the playoff. Three other receivers have also entered the transfer portal so far: Chas Nimrod (10 catches), Kaleb Webb (six), and Nathan Leacock (one).

2025 Tennessee football recruits, transfer commits

• David Sanders Jr., OT (No. 6 national, No. 1 NC)
• Isaiah Campbell, DL (No. 44 national, No. 2 NC)
• Travis Smith Jr., WR (No. 79 national, No. 12 GA)
• George MacIntyre, QB (No. 86 national, No. 1 TN)
• Da'Saahn Brame, TE (No. 95 national, No. 3 KS)
• Mariyon Dye, DL (No. 104 national, No. 1 IN)
• Wendell Moe Jr., G (transfer from Arizona)

Tennessee boasts a top-10 recruiting class led by five-star tackle David Sanders Jr., who could step in right away for a team losing nearly its entire offensive line. Travis Smith Jr. could see early playing time at receiver, while Isaiah Campbell and Mariyon Dye should fill reserve roles for one of college football's deepest defensive lines.

Expect the Volunteers to be active in the transfer portal, too, with so many key players graduating from the 2024 roster. They've already added one offensive lineman in Wendell Moe from Arizona, and we'd be shocked if they aren't aggressive in adding more talent up front on both sides of the ball.

2025 Tennessee football schedule

Follow the latest college football scores along with our college football picks.

*Conference matchup | ^FCS opponent

The Volunteers open the season at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the Aflac Kickoff Game on Aug. 30 against Syracuse, which hasn't faced Tennessee since a 24-point loss in 2001.

Tennessee will face Georgia and Oklahoma at home this year, but road trips against rivals Alabama and Florida loom as potential stumbling blocks for Heupel and Co. Don't sleep on Arkansas, which beat the Volunteers in 2024.

Tennessee football 2025 way-too-early prediction & expert analysis

Even with its losses in the trenches and at wide receiver, expect Tennessee to open the season as a top-10 team with a win total as high as 9.5. 

Assuming Iamaleava takes a step forward in his second season running Heupel's offense, Tennessee will be in position to win 10-plus games for the third time in four seasons. The defense should be strong again, and production from skill players has come easy in the veer-and-shoot offense.

While the Vols have Georgia and Alabama in their first six games, the rest of the schedule is shockingly palatable. Even if they lose to both of those blue bloods, they'd still have a strong shot at a 10-2 record and return to the CFP. 

–– Rob Paul (SBR | )

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