Tennessee Volunteers One Year Away From Special Season

Evan Crowell | Jul 22, 2024

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) looks down the field during the Citrus Bowl NCAA College football game between Tennessee and Iowa in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY

The Tennessee Volunteers are playoff contenders in 2024. Let's start this column with that first and foremost. They have one of the nation's best pass rushers on a defense that finished inside the top-25 a year ago. They have an offense that is seemignly guranteed to be in the top-3 in rushing, and is expected to be considerably better at quarterback this fall with Nico Iamaleava stepping into a starting role after. Things are good in Knoxville, Tennessee.

However, when you look at the landscape of college football, it's Tennessee who's set up for a potential title run in 2025. After all, it's a quarterback led sport, and it's the Vols that have a known two-year run at the position with Nico.

Starting Quarterbacks in CFB Playing Last Season

• Carson Beck, Georgia
• Quinn Ewers, Texas
• Will Howard, Ohio State
• Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
• Cade Klubnik, Clemson
• Jalen Milroe, Alabama* (Draft eligible)
• Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
• Brady Cook, Missouri

Those aren't just great quarterbacks, those are national title-contending teams, all of which enter 2024's season with higher odds than the Vols to compete for a national title this fall. The landscape of college football has plenty of national title contenders in 2024... the hard part is projecting a stable winner in 2025. Georgia's roster will be decimated by the draft at a higher rate than their ridiculous standard. Ohio State, as does Ole Miss, seems to be all in on 2024. Missouri loses its entire weaponry. Alabama could be without Milroe if he's drafted. Texas will be in year 1 with Arch Manning as the starter.

It's not just about the quarterback either at Tennessee. By the time 2025 rolls around, sure you'll be replacing James Pearce Jr. But you'll be doing so with a sophomore former five-star talent in Jordan Ross. Year two of five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews and four-star WR Braylon Staley.

Compete for a 2024 shot at the College Football Playoff because your roster is top-12 caliber, but if you believe this sport provides special windows of true opportunities at national titles, 2025 appears to be that window based on the happenings around the sport.

Other Tennessee News:

• Tony Vitello Turnaround Nothing Short of Brilliant for Tennessee Baseball
• Jaylen Williams Cuts Recruitment to Four Schools
• Tennessee Vols Football Could Make Playoff According to CFB Data Model

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