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ESPN ranks Tennessee Football's offseason 14th in the SEC

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey05/14/25GrantRamey
Josh Heupel, Tennessee Football | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
(Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images) Dec 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Tennessee Football had one of the worst offseasons of any SEC team, according to ESPN. The Vols were ranked 14th in the 16-team league by ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Eli Lederman and Max Olson on Tuesday. 

ESPN ranked LSU as having the best offseason in the SEC, ahead of Oklahoma, Auburn, Texas and Florida in the top five. Also ahead of the Vols were, in order, Georgia, Texas A&M, Alabama, Missouri, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Kentucky.

The only two SEC teams ranked below Tennessee were Arkansas and Mississippi State. 

Tennessee’s key additions: Joey Aguilar, Star Thomas, Wendell Moe Jr.

The key offseason additions listed by ESPN were quarterback Joey Aguilar, running back Star Thomas and offensive guard Wendell Moe Jr, the key departures were quarterback Nico Iamaleava, running back Dylan Sampson and edge James Pearce and the top incoming recruits are offensive tackle David Sanders, defensive tackle Isaiah Campbell and quarterback George MacIntyre.

Tennessee and Iamaleava parted ways in April after negotiations for a new NIL deal broke down, leading the quarterback to skip the team’s final spring practice and forcing Josh Heupel to move on.

“The Vols entered 2025 prepared to build on the program’s first-ever CFP appearance behind Nico Iamaleava,” ESPN wrote, “the former top quarterback recruit who appeared poised to take another jump in his second season as starter. Circumstances aside, Iamaleava’s late-spring departure for UCLA was a worst-case scenario for Tennessee’s 2025 season.”

Aguilar, who in December had transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA, left the Bruins after Iamaleava committed to UCLA on April 20. He committed to the Vols not long after and arrived in Knoxville this week. 

“The Vols made a solid recovery in the quarterback ‘swap’ with UCLA transfer and former Appalachian State passer Joey Aguilar,” ESPN wrote, “but the Iamaleava saga marked a disastrous ending to an otherwise quiet offseason that saw Tennessee’s biggest losses come in the NFL draft.”

‘The Vols enjoy extreme continuity on defense … that could be a very good thing’

Aguilar threw for 6,760 yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions and completed 60.1% of his passes in 25 games at Appalachian State over the last two seasons.

“Landing Aguilar, it should be reiterated, was a major boon for the Vols considering the timing of Iamaleava’s exit,” ESPN wrote. “However, if Iamaleava’s accuracy and reading of defenses was a problem at times, Aguilar — who completed 55.9% of his passes and threw 14 picks in 2024 — might not be a perfect solution.”

Connelly wrote that Iamaleava “didn’t leave an impossible bar to clear at quarterback,” but the timing of the April transfer hurts. 

“Still,” Connelly added, “the Vols enjoy extreme continuity on defense, and considering how well the defense played last season, that could be a very good thing.”

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