Joel Klatt reveals how much pressure Josh Heupel faces in 2025 at Tennessee

The outlook of Tennessee‘s 2025 college football season changed in an instant when it was revealed that star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was leaving the program and hitting the NCAA transfer portal. Fresh off a run to the College Football Playoff, the news caught just about everyone by surprise.

Tennessee was forced to regroup following the shocking end to their spring schedule. The Volunteers eventually signed Joey Aguilar from the transfer portal. Ironically, from the same school (UCLA) which Iamaleava transferred to.

Only time will tell how much the abrupt quarterback change in Knoxville will impact the 2025 season for head coach Josh Heupel and company. However, Joel Klatt revealed his ‘Coaching Pressure Index’ with Huepel’s name on the list.

“I didn’t love the whole Nico Iamaleava saga,” Klatt explained. “So, Tennessee fans, where do we sit with Josh Heupel? I think it’s, ‘I like you, but’ … like, we don’t have a quarterback anymore, and what are we doing? I think that they should be, Tennessee fans, I think that they’re mostly happy with the Heupel era, especially after coming off their first playoff appearance last year.

“But then they ran out there (against Ohio State) with their shirts off and then they got ran out of the building. They take a stand, which most of the fan base enjoyed, liked and backed with Nico and his family, but it comes apart, and now you’ve got to deliver without him against a schedule that’s pretty difficult.”

Klatt analyzed the Volunteers’ schedule, pointing to various high-pressure, and potentially must-win matchups. He name-dropped Alabama, Oklahoma and Kentucky, for all different reasons. In the end, he chose the Nov. 1 matchup vs. the Sooners as a do-or-die matchup for the Volunteers.

“That’s the game, that’s the moment that the pressure comes to fruition for Josh Heupel,” Klatt said. “I think they really should (start the season) 5-1. I’m going to give them the win at Kentucky going into the second half of the year. I think that they’re going to lose to Georgia, then 5-1 going into this stretch. The second half of the schedule is much tougher.”

After the first six matchups, Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky, and Oklahoma consecutively before taking on New Mexico State on Nov. 15. They’ll finish the season at Florida and against Vanderbilt.

Tennessee will kick off its 2025 regular season on Aug. 30 against the Syracuse Orange in a special Week 1 matchup. Kickoff is set for Noon ET and will come live from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Vols will begin SEC play in Week 3 at home against Georgia.