ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his final SP+ rankings prior to the 2023 season on Wednesday after putting out two previous lists during the offseason.
According to Connelly, the SP+ projections are based on three main factors: returning production, recent recruiting, and recent history.
Additionally, the SP+ “is a tempo- and opponent-adjusted measure of college football efficiency. It is a predictive measure of the most sustainable and predictable aspects of football, not a résumé ranking, and, along those same lines, these projections aren’t intended to be a guess at what the AP Top 25 will look like at the end of the year.”
With all that being said, Tennessee lands at No. 8 in ESPN’s final preseason SP+ rankings.
Georgia, the No. 1 team on the list, has a rating of 29.2. In comparison, Tennessee is given a rating of 22.4.
The Vols boast the third-highest offensive SP+ rating but the 32nd defensive SP+ rating. Tennessee’s average wins prediction is set right at 8.9 while the conference win average is 5.1.
From the SEC, Tennessee trails No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama, and No. 5 LSU.
Just last week, Tennessee was given the No. 12 ranking according to the AP preseason poll and the No. 10 ranking according to the preseason Coaches Poll.
More from RTI: Tennessee ‘Absolutely’ Deeper in Key Defensive Positions Entering Season
Tennessee finished the 2022 season as the No. 6 team in the final rankings, which does indicate recent success for Connelly’s rankings. The Vols also finished the 2022 recruiting cycle with the No. 23 class, the 2023 cycle with the No. 11 class, and are currently No. 11 in the 2024 rankings as well. The majority of those players committed during the Vols’ time under NCAA investigation, too.
While Tennessee is poised for success this season, many of the Vols’ top stars from the 2022 season have departed from the team including Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman, and Byron Young.
That doesn’t mean that Tennessee doesn’t have quality returning talent, though. The Vols boast names such as RB Jaylen Wright, WR Bru McCoy, S Wesley Walker, DL Omari Thomas, QB Joe Milton, and more talented players.
Tennessee will kick off the 2023 season on September 2 against Virginia in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.
To see the full SP+ rankings from ESPN, click here.
