Tennessee Football Falls Out of Post-Spring Top 25 Rankings, Raising Concerns About 2025 Season Expectations and Team Leadership
Tennessee football’s offseason took an unexpected turn when the Volunteers dropped out of the Top 25 in multiple post-spring national rankings. For a program that had worked diligently to rebuild its reputation under head coach Josh Heupel, this slide is not just a number—it’s a narrative shift, and one that could shape how the 2025 season is approached by players, coaches, fans, and national analysts alike.
Coming off a 9-4 season and a Citrus Bowl win over Iowa, expectations were modest but firm for the Volunteers heading into spring practice. They had holes to fill, yes, but with rising stars and fresh talent in the pipeline, many assumed Tennessee would remain a fixture in the lower half of the Top 25 entering the summer. Instead, a wave of question marks around key positions—particularly at quarterback and wide receiver—has clouded the outlook. The result: respected outlets like ESPN, The Athletic, and CBS Sports have omitted the Vols from their most recent rankings.
Much of the uncertainty centers around the quarterback position. With Nico Iamaleava off to the NFL after a breakout redshirt freshman campaign, the battle for QB1 is wide open. Neither Jake Merklinger nor Gaston Moore definitively grabbed the reins during spring practices. While both quarterbacks showed flashes in scrimmages, inconsistencies with timing, accuracy, and decision-making were common themes. The offense, once known for its uptempo explosiveness under Heupel, looked labored at times this spring, struggling to establish rhythm or consistently stretch the field.
A major factor behind that stagnation is Tennessee’s unproven receiving corps. With Bru McCoy now in the NFL and no obvious alpha to step into his shoes, the Vols experimented with several younger receivers, hoping one would emerge as a go-to target. Sophomore Nathan Leacock and redshirt freshman Braylon Brown drew praise for their athleticism, but neither asserted full control of the top spot. Transfer additions are still adjusting to the system, and chemistry with quarterbacks remains a work in progress. What had been a Tennessee trademark—elite receiver play—is now an unproven commodity.
The ground game also faces a transition. Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small, who powered the rushing attack last fall, are gone. Dylan Sampson is back and should take over the bulk of the carries, but questions linger about the depth behind him. Freshman Peyton Lewis impressed in spots during the spring game, but he’s not yet ready for an every-down role. The offensive line, while experienced, is still jelling, particularly on the right side where Tennessee rotated multiple players during spring reps. Offensive cohesion overall remains elusive.
Defensively, the Vols continue to rebuild a unit that was middle-of-the-pack in the SEC last year. There’s reason for optimism—James Pearce Jr. returns as a potential All-American edge rusher, and linebacker Arion Carter looks ready to lead. But defensive backfield play remains a liability. Tennessee struggled to contain explosive passing offenses in 2024, and the spring offered few signs of that trend reversing. The Vols brought in transfers to bolster cornerback depth, but the group remains inexperienced and vulnerable to miscommunication, especially in zone coverage.
This lack of defensive clarity is one of the reasons national analysts cooled on Tennessee. When teams outside the Top 10 are ranked in the preseason, it’s typically because they either return a high-caliber quarterback or boast a proven defense. Right now, Tennessee has neither. That doesn’t mean the Vols are doomed—only that their margin for error is slimmer than that of their SEC peers.
Leadership questions have also played a role in Tennessee’s rankings drop. Nico Iamaleava, for all his youth, was a vocal leader. His presence in the huddle gave the offense confidence. With him gone, Heupel has called on veterans like Cooper Mays and Elijah Herring to step into more prominent roles. But leadership by committee can only go so far. The Vols need someone—whether it’s Sampson, Pearce, or a surprise breakout—to become the emotional and tactical engine of the team. Until that happens, doubts about locker room chemistry will persist.
Josh Heupel’s coaching track record still gives fans hope. Since arriving in Knoxville in 2021, he has engineered one of the most dramatic program turnarounds in recent college football history. From a 3-7 finish under Jeremy Pruitt to a 11-win campaign in 2022, Heupel revived a proud but dormant powerhouse. His offensive system, once cutting-edge, has now been adopted and adapted across the SEC. Heupel isn’t just a system guy—he’s a program builder.
But even program builders hit speed bumps. And in the current college football ecosystem, those bumps are magnified. The transfer portal and NIL dynamics have made roster stability increasingly difficult. One or two key departures can suddenly derail a team’s trajectory. Tennessee has been active in the portal, but not always successful in closing on top-tier talent. Retaining their own playmakers—especially when other programs come calling with lucrative NIL offers—has also been a challenge.
The schedule doesn’t do Tennessee any favors either. A September trip to Norman to face Oklahoma looms large. Home games against Alabama and Florida, plus road matchups at Georgia and Arkansas, present no easy outs. If Tennessee can’t find its footing quickly, a midseason tailspin is possible. Conversely, an early win against the Sooners could flip the narrative and vault the Vols back into the Top 25. That’s how thin the line is.
Recruiting has remained solid under Heupel, but cracks are beginning to show. Several top in-state prospects have flirted with SEC rivals. The drop in rankings could add to the perception that Tennessee is losing momentum. Whether fair or not, perception often fuels recruiting cycles. Negative headlines can quickly snowball. For Heupel and his staff, the challenge is to steady the ship—not just on the field, but in the eyes of high school and transfer prospects watching from afar.
None of this is to say the Vols are in crisis. The foundation remains strong. But the drop from the Top 25 is a warning shot, a reminder that past success guarantees nothing. Every season is its own battle, and 2025 may be Heupel’s most delicate test yet. The enthusiasm that surrounded Tennessee two years ago hasn’t fully evaporated, but it has quieted. The orange wave has met resistance.
The good news is that spring rankings are just that—spring rankings. They’re speculative, not predictive. Teams rise and fall in perception every offseason, and plenty of programs have used perceived disrespect as motivation. If Tennessee can emerge from summer workouts with a clear quarterback leader, a more aggressive defense, and a few young stars ready to shine, they’ll quickly reenter the national conversation.
Fans will need to show patience, something that’s rarely in large supply in the SEC. The temptation will be to hit the panic button, especially if the season starts slow. But volatility is the new norm in college football. Programs that endure the chaos tend to be those that maintain belief in their identity. Tennessee has spent the last few years crafting one. Now it’s time to prove it wasn’t a phase.
Heupel’s words after the spring game carried an undercurrent of resolve: “We know what we have to fix. This group has the talent. Now it’s about finding consistency, chemistry, and leadership. We’ll get there.” That kind of steady messaging might not make headlines, but it’s what the program needs right now.
The Vols are no longer the shiny new contender. They’re trying to become something harder to achieve—sustainable. That journey doesn’t always go in a straight line. It loops, stalls, and sometimes regresses before taking off again. Falling out of the Top 25 hurts. But it might be exactly the kind of challenge that Tennessee needs to toughen its edge.
As the summer progresses, all eyes will be on Knoxville. The questions are clear. The answers? They’re still forming. But in a conference built on proving people wrong, Tennessee has every opportunity to remind the nation why Rocky Top was rising in the first place.
