SOTC Update: Tennessee Volunteers
Here is the 'off-season' State of the Chart update for Josh Heupel's Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee Volunteers
State of the Chart™ Recap Edition
Live All-In Ranking: 11th
Offense: 16th
Defense: 13th
2024 Results: 10-3 (6-2 in SEC) ** CFP Playoff Participant
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|||||| STATE OF THE CHART™ SUMMARY
The state of this Volunteers program has them right on the brink of breaking through. They made the College Football Playoff (CFP) and had an early exit, running into the eventual National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes. This is a balanced, talented roster on both sides of the ball and other than the clunker against Arkansas, they handled their business against a tough slate of action. Had the team been more disciplined — picking up 66.8 yards per game on average in penalties (ranked 119th in FBS) — things could have been even bigger and better. Similarly, the offense hit a bit of a funk in the middle of the season. They got at a break neck speed and if it’s not working, the defense is asked to spend a lot of time on the field. They handled it for the most part, but that wears on even the most talented and prepared units. They have their leader in quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who quickly goes from the “new kid” to a more experienced quantity at the all-important position. He’ll need to quickly develop a rapport with new teammates as there is a lot of roster/talent churn happening here this off-season. Heupel and company still take an approach of recruit and develop ahead of a full-on focus on the transfer portal. That will be put to the test. They have a great 2025 recruiting class and will remain strategic in the portal.
|||||| HEAD COACH AND COACHING STAFF
Josh Heupel's build of this program started with offense. He brought his scheme and simply outscored opponents. As he entered his fourth season in 2024, he knew the defense needed to keep up to compete in today's SEC. And, did they ever? There was even a small speed bump in the progress on offense, but this team still made the Playoff. That run was short lived, but this program remains in great shape under Heupel.
Coaching Staff Notes/Changes:
Heupel and the administration made an important move to extend and raise defensive coordinator Tim Banks this off-season. With so many high-profile jobs opening and Banks’ falling behind some of the newer SEC coaches in terms of salary, the Vols moved quickly to keep him in Knoxville where he has done a fantastic job with this talented defense.
Replacing special teams guru Mike Ekeler will be crucial, as his departure leaves a gap in both coaching experience and recruiting impact. Additionally, contract expirations for key defensive assistants could lead to further staff changes. The Vols’ success in 2025 may depend on how well they navigate these transitions while maintaining stability in play calling and player development.
Mitch Millitello is a clear up-and-comer in the industry and after soaking in some of the Tennessee principles on offense, he bolted to become Kennesaw State’s offensive coordinator for 2025.
Update (2/25): Former Oklahoma offensive coordinator and North Texas head coach Seth Littrell is joining Josh Heupel’s staff as an analyst. The two were teammates at OU and this is another solid, veteran addition to the staff despite a really rough, short tenure as play caller for the Sooners.
Note: This is a “dynamic” article; meaning we will update any information that comes in this “off-season” and post a note when impactful moves are made or news breaks.
|||||| 2024 SCHEDULE / RESULTS ANALYSIS
As so many SEC schools deal with a season-long gauntlet, the challenge becomes showing up for each and every week to avoid a let down that can cost you the season. That could have been the case if the loss in Fayetteville in week six manifested itself again later in the season. They knew they could only lose one more game and that was going to be Georgia in Athens. They followed that script and snuck out seven-point wins against Florida and Alabama before the second bye week. They handled Kentucky and Mississippi State before the Georgia loss. That final SEC game in Nashville took on a different meaning as Vanderbilt returned to a level of competence that has not been seen for a while. They handled that final test to secure a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. Their draw turned out to be less-than desirable as they hosted the eventual National Champion Buckeyes. The game was never in doubt and the season quickly came to an end.
This was the 32nd ranked slate of competition in the land. Middle of the pack by SEC standards and the results were what was deserved according to deserved wins (dWIN) which had them at 10.3 wins.
||||||| POSITION GROUP CHECK-INS
OFFENSE: This Josh Heupel-led offense was again one of the best in the business, albeit slightly inconsistent. Young star quarterback Nico Iamaleava struggled at times, but did enough to get them into the top 20 in points per game (35.7). They ran one of the fastest paces in the game at 73.7 plays per game and leaned on that run game to set up the pass with a 60.7% run rate. That’s the way Heupel envisions it working at its peak, even if the personnel has dictated a slight variation - as has happened in the recent past. This offense is nothing if not flexible and potent (at times). The explosiveness was not quite to the level they had hoped, finishing with 54 plays of over 30 yards (ranked: 47th). The offensive line was inconsistent and had it been better, they could have avoided the stretch of struggles and stayed in that top ten range, where they believe they belong. Iamaleava is coming back with some experience under his belt and a big step forward is expected. He’ll need to build some quite rapport with new receivers as many of his familiar faces are departing. Don’t expect any changes in the philosophy or approach in 2025.
||| QB
This group was led by Nico Iamaleava, who threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns while guiding the Vols to a 10–3 record and a College Football Playoff berth. Despite mid-season challenges, Iamaleava demonstrated growth, finishing strong with a dominant performance against Vanderbilt before struggling against Ohio State in the playoffs. Iamaleava remains the clear starter, with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger providing depth and a must be ready if called upon. The future just may be 2025 signee George MacIntyre.
||| RB
This room was dominated by Dylan Sampson, who set school records with 1,491 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, earning SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors before declaring for the NFL Draft. With his departure, they will rely on a committee approach in 2025, featuring returners DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis, and Duke transfer Star Thomas. Bishop’s experience in the system, Lewis’s dynamic playmaking ability, and Thomas’s versatility provide a well-rounded backfield. No likely bellcow going forward, and that’s okay when you have the versatile talent to keep everybody fresh.
||| WR
This always talent-laden room was by some veterans, including Bru McCoy, Dont’e Thornton Jr., and Marquarius "Squirrel" White. With McCoy and Thornton out of eligibility and White transferring to Florida State, the Volunteers must replace their top pass-catchers in 2025. Chris Brazzell II returns as the most experienced option, while sophomore Mike Matthews and redshirt freshman Braylon Staley are expected to step into larger roles. A lot of work is needed to make up for the losses here.
||| TE
It was Miles Kitselman, the JUCO/Alabama transfer who was most impressive, even over Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes, who drew the most attention heading into the season. Both were serviceable and Kitselman will return to the primary role while Staes looks for a new home in his final year of eligibility. Ethan Davis should step into the complimentary role without much problem.
||| OL
Tennessee’s offensive line was a key factor in the Vols’ 10–3 season, helping the team rank second in the SEC and fifth nationally in total offense, though it struggled at times in pass protection. With three to four starters departing, including Cooper Mays (C), John Campbell Jr. (LT), and Javontez Spraggins (RG), Tennessee faces a major rebuild up front in 2025. Lance Heard (LT) and five-star freshman David Sanders Jr. (RT) are expected to start at tackle, providing elite talent on the edges. Inside, Wendell Moe Jr. (LG) and Sam Pendleton (RG), both transfers, are likely to step into starting roles. The biggest question mark is at center, where William Satterwhite (R-Fr.) or another young player could start, unless Moe or Pendleton shifts inside. Tennessee is still awaiting a decision on Andrej Karic’s appeal for an extra season, which could impact the final lineup. If Karic returns, the Vols could start four transfers plus Sanders, adding both experience and upside. While the line may take time to gel, its high-end talent and flexibility give Tennessee a strong foundation to build on in 2025.
Update (2/24): Andrej Karic’s appeal for that extra season did not yield a positive result and he announced he’ll be entering the NFL draft.
DEFENSE: In order for this to work properly, the defensive unit must be on par with the offense. Winning by outscoring simply doesn’t work outside of very special cases. In Knoxville, it’s fair to stay that the defense actually surpassed the offense with tons a talent and havoc-wreaking playmakers all over the place. Tim Banks had this unit clicking on all cylinders, coming in at just 16.1 points per game (7th overall). They simply didn’t have the depth to contain the eventual National Champion Buckeyes in the first playoff game. Their nearly 7.7 tackles for loss per game ranked 10th in the nation and they were particularly stout against opposing running games, forcing them to become one dimensional. The numbers in the passing game (for the season) are skewed a bit by teams playing catch-up and the unit as a whole suffered from quick drives (success and not) from the fast-paced offense. Overall, Banks earned himself an extension and with a lot of talent churn expected this off-season, keeping it here may be a tall task.
||| DL
This group paced the defense in the trenches, led by EDGE James Pearce Jr. He lived in opposing backfields and caused all kinds of problems. Junior Joshua Josephs has also developed into one of the better players in the country, both as a pass rusher and run stopper. They will lose Pearce Jr. to the NFL early, but Josephs returns for his final season, as does Dominic Bailey, another solid contributor. They’ll miss Omari Thomas, who chipped in nicely while playing about half snaps. Some work do to here and no sign of a quick portal fix for this group.
||| LB
Tennessee’s linebacker unit took a step forward in 2024, showing improved versatility and depth throughout the season. Both true sophomores Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander received the most playing time, but also graded out lower than the part-timers behind them. Two of them, Kalib Perry and Jalen Smith will be transferring out as both Carter and Telander expected back. Expect Edwin Spillman’s role to increase and this unit group will also get a boost from incoming freshmen Jaedon Harmon and Christian Gass, both of whom could push for early playing time.
||| DB
Jermod McCoy continues to develop into one of the better young cornerbacks in the game. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL in off-season workouts and is likely to miss all of spring ball. He should be back for the regular season. Rickey Gibson III was also very good at the other CB spot with Will Brooks and Andre Turrentine providing coverage over the top at the safety spots. This is one group that won’t be losing too much. Outside of Brooks (graduation), most do return. Boo Carter was a true freshman sensation this pre-season and he got a lot of valuable playing time at the STAR spot, providing verstatility. He’ll continue to grow in ‘25. Meanwhile, Kaleb Beasley and Jalen McMurray provide young but unproven depth at corner, making their development a key factor. If McCoy returns fully healthy, Tennessee’s secondary could be one of its biggest strengths, but if depth is tested early, there could be growing pains.
Update (2/25): CB Rickey Gibson III announced his intentions to enter the portal when the spring window opens. This is another big loss for this secondary.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Max Gilbert was really good as a redshirt freshman in 2024, hitting 20/26 and they were not afraid to let him rip from 50+ (3 of 6). He should only improve with more experience. Jackson Ross was a solid punter and he will return as well. S Boo Carter, WR Squirrel White and CB Jermod McCoy all saw about a third of the action as punt returners in ‘24. Carter was the best of the bunch. With White moving on and McCoy slowed by the ACL injury, we could be Carter in a that role full-time in 2025.
Reader feedback is requested and encouraged! Who knows these teams better than their passionate fan bases? We don’t pretend to know it all and would love your feedback. We will update/edit based (and credit) for anything that is brought to our attention. Let’s do this together…
|||||| TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER
As of now, the Vols have seen a one-sided portal churn with many players leaving the program and just four coming in (as of now). This happened quickly, losing key contributors in the secondary, offensive line, and wide receiver corps. Offensively, Tennessee strengthened the trenches, bringing in Wendell Moe Jr. and Sam Pendleton to shore up the interior line. They also added Alabama transfer Amari Jefferson at receiver and Duke’s Star Thomas at running back, giving the offense more versatility. While Tennessee didn’t make major defensive portal moves, the pieces are in place for the secondary to develop internally. Heupel is not as much a volume guy as he is strategic with the portal and that is tracking thus far in the off-season. They are not likely completely done adding; but it won’t be a the primary focus to build back up for 2025.
Below is a screen shot of the full, live Transfer Portal Tracker over at CFBDepth.com. Click the image or the button below to view it in its entirety…
|||||| 2025 RECRUITING CLASS
This is why Vols fans should not be overly concerned with the big number above (portal) leaving the roster. Heupel’s focus remains on bringing in top level talent and developing them. You’ll see a lot of internal replacements come the season starting and that’s the preferred method here. They are also acting on that with the fifth rated class coming in — a well balanced mix between offense and defense. They show their ability to go outside of the general pipeline to grab two big-time players out of North Carolina with 5-star OL David Sanders Jr. and DL Isiah Campbell. They are a national recruiting brand and you can see their mix of state representation in quite vast in this class (see screen below). They will keep pumping in talent and a lot of it will leave without early gratification, but this model has been working, so, until it doesn’t, we can trust the process.
Here is a snapshot of the 2025 Recruiting Class+ with a link to the live page with updates throughout the cycle:
|||||| 2025 SCHEDULE LOOK AHEAD
They moved Georgia up in the schedule setting up an early stage-setting matchup. They are hosting this year and that gives them slightly better shot to come out on top. They better not be overlooking that first game against Syracuse as Fran Brown’s squad same on strong last year and will likely be a worthy opponent right out of the gate. Luckily, they get them so early they will still be breaking in their new quarterback at that point. They have to travel to Tuscaloosa, Lexington and the Swamp for the remaining SEC slate. Overall, it’s very similar to a season ago and again, if they can stay at two losses, they should be in position to be included in the field again in 2025.
There is a lot of movement and decisions to be made throughout the off-season, including more portal moves, winter workouts and spring ball. Get all caught up with the full-on State of the Chart Magazine coming in July. If you missed the ad before, get more information and give us your e-mail to stay in the loop on everything SOTC!
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