Preseason power rankings

[DarkVolder]

10? Seriously that’s too low and behind Florida a team coming off a 4-8 season and Mizzou ugh. We are getting zero respect in all the preseason rankings. We will finish in the top 6 of the SEC book it!! Go Vols!!!

 

[FlVols]

From ESPN​

25. Tennessee Volunteers​

2025 record: 8-5, 4-4 SEC
Previous ranking: 25

Key players lost: QB Joey Aguilar, WR Chris Brazzell II, LB Arion Carter, CB Jermod McCoy, DB Andre Turrentine, DB Jalen McMurray, CB Colton Hood, CB Jermod McCoy, DL Dominic Bailey, DL Joshua Josephs
Key additions: LB Amare Campbell (Penn State), DE Chaz Coleman (Penn State), DT Xavier Gilliam (Penn State), S Dejuan Lane (Penn State), S Qua Moss (Kansas State), CB Kayin Lee (Auburn), DE/LB Jordan Norman (Tulane), S TJ Metcalf (Michigan)
2026 outlook: After a disappointing 2025 season, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel made a big move on defense by firing coordinator Tim Banks and replacing him with former Penn State coordinator Jim Knowles, who helped Ohio State win the 2024 national title. The Vols ranked 14th in the SEC in scoring defense (28.8 points) and total defense (397.2 yards) last season. Campbell, Coleman, Gilliam and Lane followed Knowles to UT and should be impact players. A Tennessee judge denied Aguilar's injunction for another year of eligibility. Heupel didn't land a big-time quarterback in the transfer portal after pursuing Ty Simpson and Sam Leavitt. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon will battle for the job in the spring.

 

[Mountvol]

One of the more respected power ratings year after year.

2026 college football SP+ rankings for all 138 FBS teams

The first SP+ rankings, plus strength of schedule and résumé SP+, for the 2026 season.

www.espn.com

 

[brockytop]

From ESPN​

25. Tennessee Volunteers​

2025 record: 8-5, 4-4 SEC
Previous ranking: 25

Key players lost: QB Joey Aguilar, WR Chris Brazzell II, LB Arion Carter, CB Jermod McCoy, DB Andre Turrentine, DB Jalen McMurray, CB Colton Hood, CB Jermod McCoy, DL Dominic Bailey, DL Joshua Josephs
Key additions: LB Amare Campbell (Penn State), DE Chaz Coleman (Penn State), DT Xavier Gilliam (Penn State), S Dejuan Lane (Penn State), S Qua Moss (Kansas State), CB Kayin Lee (Auburn), DE/LB Jordan Norman (Tulane), S TJ Metcalf (Michigan)
2026 outlook: After a disappointing 2025 season, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel made a big move on defense by firing coordinator Tim Banks and replacing him with former Penn State coordinator Jim Knowles, who helped Ohio State win the 2024 national title. The Vols ranked 14th in the SEC in scoring defense (28.8 points) and total defense (397.2 yards) last season. Campbell, Coleman, Gilliam and Lane followed Knowles to UT and should be impact players. A Tennessee judge denied Aguilar's injunction for another year of eligibility. Heupel didn't land a big-time quarterback in the transfer portal after pursuing Ty Simpson and Sam Leavitt. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon will battle for the job in the spring.

Someone needs to let ESPN know from “key players lost” list that Arion Carter returned and Jermod McCoy didn’t play a snap last year. Andre Turrentine? Really? If he was a key loss then were in better shape than I thought.

 

[IfDickeyStayed]

10? Seriously that’s too low and behind Florida a team coming off a 4-8 season and Mizzou ugh. We are getting zero respect in all the preseason rankings. We will finish in the top 6 of the SEC book it!! Go Vols!!!

In my opinion, we ought to be 8th in the SEC preseason and probably 18-23 in the first AP poll. This is, on paper, the most talented roster Heupel has had yet, with key productive position groups returning (two 800yd receivers and a 1000yd rusher). Pair that with finally having a proven DC and Strength Coach, I think people should be higher on us. Not having a QB is this team's biggest cause for concern. If we had Joey as the QB next year, I firmly believe we would be viewed as an SEC contender and a preseason top-15 team.

 

[DarkVolder]

In my opinion, we ought to be 8th in the SEC preseason and probably 18-23 in the first AP poll. This is, on paper, the most talented roster Heupel has had yet, with key productive position groups returning (two 800yd receivers and a 1000yd rusher). Pair that with finally having a proven DC and Strength Coach, I think people should be higher on us. Not having a QB is this team's biggest cause for concern. If we had Joey as the QB next year, I firmly believe we would be viewed as an SEC contender and a preseason top-15 team.

Yep i think that’s the big question mark the media and pundits have is who will our QB be. I sure wish they had granted Joey another year

 

[KTrain]

Someone needs to let ESPN know from “key players lost” list that Arion Carter returned and Jermod McCoy didn’t play a snap last year. Andre Turrentine? Really? If he was a key loss then were in better shape than I thought.

Yep and they listed Jermod McCoy twice, so a guy that didnt play a snap rates a 2 key lost player status. This is just bad research by ESPN writer.
IMO they dont hate UT but I do believe they just throw something together to put out and dont proof read and research and check how they spin for certain programs. Unless, in the SEC youre named Bama/UGA/LSU or Texas then they do their due diligence. I dont believe its hate just lazy jounalism. As at the end of movie "Casablanca" Round up the usual suspects,
for preseason rankings.

 

[DarkVolder]

Yep and they listed Jermod McCoy twice, so a guy that didnt play a snap rates a 2 key lost player status. This is just bad research by ESPN writer.
IMO they dont hate UT but I do believe they just throw something together to put out and dont proof read and research and check how they spin for certain programs. Unless, in the SEC youre named Bama/UGA/LSU or Texas then they do their due diligence. I dont believe its hate just lazy jounalism. As at the end of movie "Casablanca" Round up the usual suspects,
for preseason rankings.

ESPN hates us!!

 

[adam.vol]

I believe we all pay closer attention to our program than ESPN’s sports writers.

Chaz Coleman. Arion Carter. Last year’s injuries.. Like me as a high schooler, someone completed this homework while on lunch break.

 

[VOLdo Raine]

Jermod McCoy was so important to us last year, he counts as losing TWO players,

It was just the threat of him being available that struck terror in the hearts of our opponents. Hard to replace that!

 

[WillisWG]

From ESPN​

25. Tennessee Volunteers​

2025 record: 8-5, 4-4 SEC
Previous ranking: 25

Key players lost: QB Joey Aguilar, WR Chris Brazzell II, LB Arion Carter, CB Jermod McCoy, DB Andre Turrentine, DB Jalen McMurray, CB Colton Hood, CB Jermod McCoy, DL Dominic Bailey, DL Joshua Josephs
Key additions: LB Amare Campbell (Penn State), DE Chaz Coleman (Penn State), DT Xavier Gilliam (Penn State), S Dejuan Lane (Penn State), S Qua Moss (Kansas State), CB Kayin Lee (Auburn), DE/LB Jordan Norman (Tulane), S TJ Metcalf (Michigan)
2026 outlook: After a disappointing 2025 season, Volunteers coach Josh Heupel made a big move on defense by firing coordinator Tim Banks and replacing him with former Penn State coordinator Jim Knowles, who helped Ohio State win the 2024 national title. The Vols ranked 14th in the SEC in scoring defense (28.8 points) and total defense (397.2 yards) last season. Campbell, Coleman, Gilliam and Lane followed Knowles to UT and should be impact players. A Tennessee judge denied Aguilar's injunction for another year of eligibility. Heupel didn't land a big-time quarterback in the transfer portal after pursuing Ty Simpson and Sam Leavitt. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon will battle for the job in the spring.

Carter back and Coleman gone, so how much respect sure I give for this lack of effort?

 

[Manchester Vol]

One of our quarterbacks has to show some value before we can move up that scale. We have played with pieces on the team, but within an unknown at quarterback, our power will remain low.

 

[adam.vol]

One of our quarterbacks has to show some value before we can move up that scale. We have played with pieces on the team, but within an unknown at quarterback, our power will remain low.

That same scale moved us down when we traded Nico for Joey last season. It’s the equivalent of a coffee table book.

 

[Mountvol]

One of our quarterbacks has to show some value before we can move up that scale. We have played with pieces on the team, but within an unknown at quarterback, our power will remain low.

Getting competent qb play at TN has already been baked in to most reputable power creators of power ratings. I don’t expect to get Hooker level Qb play this year it if you can get something between Nico and hooker level play you might adjust Tn up some prob by 1-2.5 points. In the link I posted above Connelly already has the TN offense ranked 4th in his ratings nationally. However he has our defense ranked 50th which I think is fair based on the body of work under Heupel. I don’t expect this defense to put up numbers like the 24 defense did but if you can just get competent play and be top 20-30 in defense that’s what will make TN have a true jump. That would probably adjust TN up 4-5 points. So instead of making TN a 7pt home underdog to Texas for example you will see that line come down to more like TN being a 2-3 point underdog depending on what adjustments have to be made to Texas as well. Anyone who puts out a graphic with teams can call their ranking a power ratings I suppose. But I’m more interested in looking at systems who show their work to see how they arrived there.

 

[adam.vol]

Getting competent qb play at TN has already been baked in to most reputable power creators of power ratings. I don’t expect to get Hooker level Qb play this year it if you can get something between Nico and hooker level play you might adjust Tn up some prob by 1-2.5 points. In the link I posted above Connelly already has the TN offense ranked 4th in his ratings nationally. However he has our defense ranked 50th which I think is fair based on the body of work under Heupel. I don’t expect this defense to put up numbers like the 24 defense did but if you can just get competent play and be top 20-30 in defense that’s what will make TN have a true jump. That would probably adjust TN up 4-5 points. So instead of making TN a 7pt home underdog to Texas for example you will see that line come down to more like TN being a 2-3 point underdog depending on what adjustments have to be made to Texas as well. Anyone who puts out a graphic with teams can call their ranking a power ratings I suppose. But I’m more interested in looking at systems who show their work to see how they arrived there.

True. We carried Nico to the playoffs and made him look pretty good while doing so. The real question is whether the defensive line is stout enough to play 4 quarters.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

True. We carried Nico to the playoffs and made him look pretty good while doing so. The real question is whether the defensive line is stout enough to play 4 quarters.

I honestly think the 2024 defense was a 1 trick pony, and it got exposed when we played against comparable or better talent. We could rush the passer and we’re pretty good against the run, but if we couldn’t get pressure with 4 we were done. UGA and Ohio State showed that we were incapable of making adjustments.

 

[Mountvol]

I honestly think the 2024 defense was a 1 trick pony, and it got exposed when we played against comparable or better talent. We could rush the passer and we’re pretty good against the run, but if we couldn’t get pressure with 4 we were done. UGA and Ohio State showed that we were incapable of making adjustments.

Agree. That defense was not nearly as good as the stats showed. UGA and OSU did what they wanted for the majority of the game. Benefited from playing a lot of bad offenses that year.

 

[adam.vol]

I honestly think the 2024 defense was a 1 trick pony, and it got exposed when we played against comparable or better talent. We could rush the passer and we’re pretty good against the run, but if we couldn’t get pressure with 4 we were done. UGA and Ohio State showed that we were incapable of making adjustments.

I don’t think the defense was a one trick pony until Pili got injured. If so, then it was due to play calling. We were a much better team with the 5th year senior LB.

 

[RockyTop140]

Last years team didn’t beat a single ranked team and had a couple of embarrassing losses. This years schedule is more difficult, and we have an unknown at qb. Combine that with a new DC, and I don’t really blame writers who will rank us low. I’m not saying we can’t outperform that ranking. It’s just understandable

 

[hUTch2002]

One of the more respected power ratings year after year.

2026 college football SP+ rankings for all 138 FBS teams

The first SP+ rankings, plus strength of schedule and résumé SP+, for the 2026 season.

www.espn.com

Wow. The B10 had 7 teams finish worse than the worst SEC team. That’s insane and that’s also why the SEC is still better overall even though the B10 has been winning the title.

 

[hUTch2002]

Yep i think that’s the big question mark the media and pundits have is who will our QB be. I sure wish they had granted Joey another year

We should’ve just played him anyway. NCAA doesn’t seem to be good at enforcing rules.

 

[Other_Guy]

I simply cant fathom the obsession over Florida by pretty much everyone in the media. They were idiots last year, they're idiots now.

 

[SubVet676]

Last years team didn’t beat a single ranked team and had a couple of embarrassing losses. This years schedule is more difficult, and we have an unknown at qb. Combine that with a new DC, and I don’t really blame writers who will rank us low. I’m not saying we can’t outperform that ranking. It’s just understandable

Wisdom in these words. UT did not beat a P4 team with a winning record last year. Offense was solid, but overall defense and clutch FG kicking was atrocious. Cost us at least two games. So it is what it is, and you are what your record says you are. UT was 8-5. That Vandy game was an ugly black eye.

Coach Heupel did exactly what needed to be done. New DC; new S&C; new FG kicker. In doing so, he addressed the 3 things that most needed to be addressed. Good moves.

Price of poker has gone up in the SEC. 9-game conference schedule removes an automatic win (the 'November Cupcake Festival") from every team. Lane Kiffin...fighting back my gag reflex here...now taps into the gold mine of Cajun football talent. It might take Alex a year or two, but he is going to make Auburn dangerous again. Kirby is still Kirby. Sark and Elko cannot be taken lightly. The SEC is a meat grinder now, which is exactly what the B10 wanted. They might have 18 teams, but only 6 of them have a realistic shot at the CFP. The SEC, on the other hand, even at 16 teams is a much more closely contested conference. There are 3 or 4 teams that are the teams to beat; another 4 who could be in the hunt; and yet another 4 who could play spoiler. Consider that Vanderbilt...ugh, there's the gag reflex again...had a legitimate argument for the CFP last year. Vanderbilt, which for decades has been the slang term for my doormat on the front porch. We live in a different world now. UT has to prove it belongs at the adult table.

I'd rather be ranked low and surprise everyone than be ranked high and disappoint the faithful. That seems to be when UT does its best work...when no one expects them to be tough.
There are big question marks here. Who will the QB be? How much can Knowles do in Year 1? Can the FG kicker make a clutch 40-yarder? Will this team be physically tougher, or last year's version of ice cream that's been sitting on the counter for too long?

I'm not a fan, or follower, of ESPN. But when it comes to UT football, they've been right more than they've been wrong over the last few years when it comes to UT football.

It is what it is. Like the old saying, winning cures a lot of ills. So just win and let the rest of it sort itself out.

Go Vols.

 

[orangemadam]

Depending on the QB play, we can be anywhere from 3rd in SEC to 7th.
8th may be in range if qb sucks as well as WR being overrated. Potential
means nothing unless it is realized.

 

[njvols]

10? Seriously that’s too low and behind Florida a team coming off a 4-8 season and Mizzou ugh. We are getting zero respect in all the preseason rankings. We will finish in the top 6 of the SEC book it!! Go Vols!!!

Not really unexpected. No proven qb and D needs to establish itself. We have the talent and can rise significantly if things go right.