Tennessee football is coming off an 8-4 (4-4 SEC) season that resulted in a Music City Bowl nod. While that is far below the expectations Josh Heupel has built up in Knoxville, CBS Sports is giving him some grace. The outlet graded each SEC team’s season and gave the Vols a ‘B’ for the 2025 campaign.
The reason for the grade was the expectations heading into the season. With a new quarterback being added in the spring and cornerback injuries, CBS’ Brandon Marcello dubbed it a ‘rebuilding year’ for Tennessee. Given that perspective, he felt like the team met expectations.
“The 2025 season was always going to be a rebuilding year for the Volunteers, and yet they still managed to win eight games and put a scare into Georgia earlier in the season,” Marcello wrote. “The Vols fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks after the season, but he had to work this season without two starters in the secondary. The defense finished 87th overall, ranking among the worst in pass defense (113th). The offense under quarterback Joey Aguilar finished in the top 10 in most categories, but the lack of a rushing attack (50th) was an issue in several games. Eight wins should have been the expectation in this rebuilding year, but that doesn’t stop fans from projecting a trip to the playoff. Grade: B”
More From RTI: Tennessee Set To Kick Off 2026 SEC Slate Against Seldom-Seen Foe In Knoxville
Heupel clearly didn’t feel like his defense met the standard he has set. The result was him firing Banks, his defensive coordinator since he took over Tennessee in 2021. Just days after the firing, he officiall hired well-respected Jim Knowles, who was out of a job at Penn State after a coaching change.
Knowles was the architect behind Ohio State and Oklahoma State defenses that took dramatic steps in the right direction. He led the Buckeyes to the No. 2, then No. 1 scoring defense in the country en route to the 2024 national championship.
Offensively, Tennessee is going to have to replace a few pieces, most notably the quarterback. Unless Joey Aguilar is handed an extra year of eligibility, the Vols need to find a new starter. This could be a returner in either Jake Merklinger or George MacIntyre, or a newcomer in five-star freshman Faizon Brandon or a transfer.
Next, the Vols will play in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30. Just a couple of days later, the transfer portal will officially open for Heupel to dip into. So far, just Boo Carter, Kellen Lindstrom, Jamal Wallace and Brenden Anes have announced their intention to transfer out of UT.
