Bulletin board material has hit the shelves for the Tennessee football locker room as Josh Heupel prepares for his fifth season on Rocky Top.
Lindy’s 2025 National College Football Magazine has shared its predictions for the SEC this year, and the Vols are predicted to finish in the bottom half.
Tennessee has been predicted to finish No. 11 in the SEC this year after losing former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava to UCLA in the transfer portal. As a result, the Vols signed UCLA quarterback Joey Aguilar to replace Nico in the QB room.
It’s unclear who will be the Vols’ starting quarterback this year, which could be why Lindy’s magazine isn’t high on Tennessee. Whether it be Aguilar, Jake Merklinger, or freshman George MacIntyre, Tennessee has the potential to be just as good as last year.
The loss of Nico has forced people to move Tennessee down the SEC leaderboard this season. Based on Tennessee’s schedule alone, that likely won’t be reality as the Vols have a favorable schedule this season.
SEC Football Unfiltered host Blake Toppmeyer also credited the drop to Nico’s loss but referred to it as more of a knee-jerk reaction rather than a reasonable prediction.
“This feels like a knee-jerk, half-baked reaction to Iamaleava’s transfer,” Toppmeyer said. Tennessee’s ceiling altered when Iamaleava spurned the Vols in mid-April. But, I’m unconvinced the quarterback switch changed Tennessee’s floor much. Heupel’s teams are very tough at Neyland Stadium, buoying the Vols’ chances in an important swing game at home against what should be an improved Oklahoma team. Tennessee ought to win four or five SEC games. It’s tough to imagine that not being good enough to finish in the top 10 of the SEC standings.”
Lindy’s predicts Texas as the top team in the SEC this year. That is the least surprising prediction, as they are jumping on the Longhorns bandwagon this year. Texas is followed by No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia, and No. 5 Oklahoma.
As for Tennessee’s landing spot at No. 11, there are only five teams behind the Vols, and they will play four of them this season. Texas A&M is behind the Vols at No. 12, followed by No. 13 Arkansas, No. 14 Vanderbilt, No. 15 Kentucky, and No. 16 Mississippi State.
Between Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt, the Vols should be looking at at least three wins. Add at least three wins between ETSU, New Mexico State, Syracuse, and UAB, and Tennessee is sitting at a minimum of six wins before the season kicks off.
Tennessee kicks off its season in Atlanta this year, with a matchup against Syracuse in the Chick-fil-A Kick-Off. This will be their first test against a Power Four opponent and could set the tone for the rest of the season.
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