The SEC media predicted the order of finish for the entire conference at last week’s media days in Tampa. The media picked Tennessee to finish eighth in the SEC as the Vols prepare for a nine-game conference schedule for the first time ever.
There’s plenty to like about Tennessee entering the 2026 season including a number of offensive stars back. But there’s also a number of questions, most notably as quarterback and along the defensive line.
How has Tennessee performed compared to preseason expectations over Josh Heupel’s first five seasons as head coach? Taking a look here.
More From RTI: How Tennessee’s College Football Playoff Chances Stack Up Against SEC Competition
2025
- Preseason prediction: 9th in the SEC
- Record: 8-5 (4-4 SEC)
- Finish: T-8th (9th after tiebreaker)
Expectations were relatively low after Iamaleava entered the transfer portal and Tennessee landed Joey Aguilar in the spring. The Vols’ schedule proved to have a massive chasm. Tennessee played three playoff teams and a Vanderbilt team that barely missed the playoffs. The other four games came against teams who failed to make the bowl game. The Vols proved to be perfectly mediocre, losing to the four high quality teams and beating the four low quality teams.
2024
- Preseason prediction: 7th in the SEC
- Record: 10-3 (6-2 SEC)
- Finish: T-2nd (3rd after tiebreaker)
With Texas and Oklahoma joining the conference, the SEC got rid of divisions and the preseason predictions included the entire conference. With first-year quarterback Nico Iamaleava, the media expected Tennessee to be solid but not great. The Vols’ offensive struggles from 2023 continued but their defense was elite, propelling Tennessee to another 10-2 regular season and a birth in the expanded College Football Playoffs.
2023
- Preseason prediction: 2nd in the SEC East
- Record: 9-4 (4-4 SEC)
- Finish: 3rd
The media viewed Tennessee as the clear threat to Georgia in the SEC East despite losing offensive stars Hooker, Tillman and Jalin Hyatt to the NFL Draft. But the Vols took a clear step back, particularly on offense. Tennessee kept the train on the tracks thanks to a revenge win over South Carolina and quality victories over Texas A&M and Kentucky. But November losses to Georgia and Missouri saw Tennessee fall to third place in the SEC East.
2022
- Preseason prediction: 2nd in the SEC East
- Record: 11-2 (6-2 SEC)
- Finish: 3rd
Hendon Hooker and star receiver Cedric Tillman returned after strong 2021 seasons, but the media still viewed Kentucky as the top threat to Georgia in the SEC East. Instead, Tennessee built off a strong first season under Heupel, starting 5-0 and going into Athens in November with a chance to play for the SEC Championship. The future national champions whomped Tennessee along with a loss at South Carolina two weeks later were sour notes on otherwise great season.
2021
- Preseason prediction: 5th in the SEC East
- Record: 7-6 (4-4 SEC)
- Finish: 3rd
With massive departures to the transfer portal and an ongoing NCAA investigation, expectations were very low entering Josh Heupel’s first season as head coach. But Heupel’s up tempo offense gave opposing defenses fits and Tennessee went .500 in SEC play with all four wins coming against divisional foes— Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt.
