The Tennessee Volunteers football program has had its ups and downs over the years. Once a powerhouse in college football, the program’s legacy has been tarnished by periods of mediocrity, leadership changes, and player instability. For longtime reporter Jimmy Hyams, who has been covering the Vols for decades, the outlook for Tennessee’s football program in 2025 is far from optimistic.
Hyams has seen it all—from the glory years of the late 1990s and early 2000s when the Vols were competing for national championships, to the struggles in recent years. His perspectives are shaped not just by the wins and losses but by the culture, leadership, and overall trajectory of the program. As we enter the 2025 season, Hyams is critical of the current state of the program and believes that Tennessee fans will likely be disappointed again this season.
A History of High Expectations
Tennessee football has always been a program with high expectations. Fans expect the team to compete for SEC titles, regularly play in New Year’s Six bowls, and have a seat at the table when the College Football Playoff is discussed. The Vols are a historic program, with multiple SEC championships, a national title in 1998, and consistent success in the late 1990s and early 2000s under head coach Phillip Fulmer.
However, over the past two decades, Tennessee’s football program has seen a decline. After the retirement of Fulmer in 2008, the program struggled to find stability. Multiple head coaches cycled through Knoxville, including Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Jim Chaney, and Butch Jones, with little sustained success. The Vols have not won an SEC championship since 1998, and their last appearance in a major bowl game came in the 2005 Orange Bowl.
When Jeremy Pruitt was hired in 2018, there was hope that Tennessee might find the consistency it needed. However, Pruitt was fired in 2021 after a series of off-field issues, and the program’s future was once again in flux.
The Arrival of Josh Heupel
In 2021, Tennessee hired Josh Heupel as its head coach, bringing a fresh face and a new offensive philosophy to the program. Heupel, who had previous success at UCF, was seen as a dynamic coach capable of revitalizing the offense and rebuilding Tennessee into a competitive team. His fast-paced, high-scoring offense showed promise, especially in his first season, when the Vols showed improvement.
Despite the optimism surrounding Heupel’s early tenure, Hyams has tempered his enthusiasm. The 2023 season, while marked by some moments of excitement, failed to deliver on the promise of long-term success. Tennessee finished 8-5, and while it showed signs of offensive potency, the team was still far from being a true contender in the SEC.
Hyams is quick to point out that the SEC remains a brutal conference, with powerhouse teams like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and even emerging programs like Ole Miss making it difficult for any team outside of the elite to rise to the top. For Tennessee to break through, Heupel would need to recruit better talent, especially on defense, and develop a more well-rounded team.
The 2025 Outlook: A Lack of Talent Depth
As Hyams looks toward the 2025 season, he sees a program that is still lacking in several key areas, most notably depth. Tennessee’s recruiting efforts have improved under Heupel, but Hyams points out that the Vols are still behind in terms of talent compared to the top teams in the SEC.
In particular, the defensive side of the ball remains a major concern. While Tennessee has recruited some quality defensive players, Hyams notes that the Vols are still struggling to consistently compete with the elite defenses in the conference. Teams like Georgia, Alabama, and LSU have an edge when it comes to defensive talent, and this gap is one of the reasons why Tennessee hasn’t been able to compete for championships in recent years.
Furthermore, Hyams is not convinced that Tennessee has the depth at quarterback to be competitive at the highest level. Heupel’s offense relies heavily on the quarterback position, and while there have been flashes of brilliance from players like Hendon Hooker, who led Tennessee to an 11-2 season in 2022, Hyams is concerned about the long-term stability at the position. If the Vols do not find a consistent, high-level quarterback in the coming years, it will be difficult to sustain success in Heupel’s high-powered offensive system.
Coaching Concerns: Is Heupel the Right Fit?
Heupel’s tenure has already sparked mixed opinions among Tennessee fans. While some see him as the man to turn the program around, others are skeptical about whether he can ever get Tennessee back to the elite level it once enjoyed. Hyams is among the latter group, citing the lack of a truly signature win under Heupel’s leadership. In the hyper-competitive SEC, it’s not enough to just be competitive; you have to win the big games against teams like Alabama and Georgia.
While Heupel’s offensive philosophy has brought excitement to Knoxville, Hyams is uncertain whether it can overcome the program’s larger structural issues. The defense, in particular, has been a constant weakness, and Heupel has yet to demonstrate that he can recruit and develop a championship-caliber defense. Additionally, the constant turnover in coaching staffs in the past few years has made it difficult to establish the kind of stability that’s necessary for sustained success.
Hyams also raises concerns about Heupel’s ability to close out games in critical moments. Tennessee has often found itself in position to win big games but has faltered in the final moments. Whether it’s a missed opportunity in a rivalry game or a failure to execute in crunch time, Hyams believes these moments highlight Heupel’s struggles in key situations.
The SEC’s Dominance: A Bigger Challenge for Tennessee
The Southeastern Conference remains the toughest conference in college football, with a level of competition that is unmatched in the rest of the country. The dominance of teams like Georgia, Alabama, and LSU makes it incredibly difficult for any program to rise to the top and stay there for an extended period.
For Tennessee, this presents a major challenge. Hyams notes that while Tennessee has had some success against SEC opponents in recent years, it has been unable to consistently beat the top teams in the conference. Even when Tennessee has been competitive, it has often fallen short against the likes of Alabama and Georgia, both of which are recruiting at an elite level and have far more depth than the Vols.
The gap between Tennessee and the top teams in the SEC is a major reason why Hyams has low expectations for the 2025 season. He believes that Tennessee will continue to struggle against the top-tier programs, and while the Vols may pick up some wins in other matchups, they will not be in the hunt for an SEC title or a playoff berth.
The Importance of Patience and Long-Term Vision
Despite his skepticism about Tennessee’s prospects in 2025, Hyams does acknowledge that rebuilding a program like Tennessee’s is a long-term process. Heupel has shown some positive signs, particularly on offense, and Hyams believes that with time, Tennessee could become a more competitive program. However, Hyams stresses that it will take more than just a few strong recruiting classes to close the gap between Tennessee and the elite teams of the SEC.
Tennessee will need to continue to improve its recruiting, especially on defense, and find a way to develop a more well-rounded team. Hyams also believes that Heupel needs to prove that he can win the big games and consistently compete with the best teams in the conference. Until that happens, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where Tennessee will be a true contender in the SEC in 2025.
Jimmy Hyams, a longtime observer of the Tennessee Volunteers football program, doesn’t hold high expectations for the team in 2025. While there is potential under Josh Heupel’s leadership, the program’s overall depth, defensive struggles, and inability to compete with the elite teams in the SEC are significant challenges. Hyams believes that Tennessee fans will likely face another season of disappointment, and while the future may be brighter in the long run, 2025 is unlikely to be a year of redemption for the Vols. As always, Vols fans will continue to hope for better days ahead, but Hyams’ analysis suggests that those days are still a long way off.
