Josh Heupel has Tennessee back in the conversation, but Paul Finebaum isn’t ready to buy into a full-blown breakthrough this fall.
The SEC Network analyst said on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that the Volunteers’ preseason No. 20 ranking feels about right, and he sees them settling into the eight-win range rather than making a bigger leap.
"I think that's about right," Finebaum said. "I think Tennessee is in that 8-4 range.
I say this all of the time: that's a game up or game down. I don't see them having a vintage Tennessee year unless something dramatically changes."
That’s a pretty measured take on a program that has made real progress under Heupel. In five seasons, he has guided Tennessee to a 45-20 record and delivered two double-digit-win campaigns. The biggest one came in 2024, when the Volunteers finished 10-3 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in school history before falling 42-17 to eventual national champion Ohio State.
But last season showed how quickly the ground can shift. Tennessee climbed as high as No. 11 in the country after entering the year ranked No. 24 in the preseason AP Poll, only to lose three of its final five games and finish 8-5, unranked.
Now the Volunteers are back at No. 20 in the preseason AP Poll, with expectations that they can stay relevant in the SEC while navigating a tough conference slate. Finebaum’s projection suggests he sees Tennessee in a similar lane to last year unless something changes in a major way.
Heupel’s next challenge comes with another new quarterback, the fifth straight year he’ll be breaking in a different starter. The job will go to sophomore George MacIntyre or true freshman five-star Faizon Brandon.
The path back to the College Football Playoff won’t be easy, especially after Tennessee missed the postseason tournament in 2025. But if the Volunteers can beat Finebaum’s 8-4 call, they’ll have a chance to climb quickly from No. 20 and push themselves back into the national picture.
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Furman Just Added An Unexpected Week 1 Wrinkle For Tennessee
Furman added a little intrigue to Tennessees Week 1 prep by naming Jake Garcia its starting quarterback for the opener. Garcia brings a rsum that stands out for a matchup in which the Volunteers are expected to control things, since he arrived as a highly rated high school recruit and has already moved through multiple programs while gaining experience at the Power Five level.
For Tennessee, the headline still points to a game it should be favored to win, but Garcia gives Furman a quarterback with enough background to make the first weekend a little less routine. Even in a matchup that looks straightforward on paper, an experienced passer can force a defense to stay sharp early and prevent any sense of warm-up mode from creeping in. [Read more 🡒]
Jaxson Mois Tennessee Return Suddenly Feels More Real Than Expected
Jaxson Mois path back to Tennessee has gone from theoretical to at least plausible in a hurry. The former defensive lineman went undrafted and signed with the Los Angeles Rams as a UDFA, but a recent court ruling opened the door for 16 football players, including some in NFL training camps, to return to college sports this season if their pro situations change.
For Tennessee, the bigger question is not just whether Moi becomes available, but whether the fit actually lines up on both sides. It remains unclear if he would want to come back to Knoxville, and the Vols would still need to have a place for him on the roster before anything could move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Lady Vols Jersey Reveal Raised One Pat Summitt Question
Tennessees return to Adidas uniforms comes with a first-of-its-kind sponsored jersey patch, as the Lady Vols are set to wear Axle Logistics branding on their game jerseys for the first time in school history. The Knoxville-based company, founded by Tennessee alumni, is in place through the 2030-31 season in a deal valued at more than $3 million per year, adding a new layer to a program long associated with one of the sports most recognizable looks.
The jersey reveal naturally raised a familiar question around a different patch, given how closely Lady Vols fans watch the details of the uniform. Early mock-ups stirred some concern, but the programs traditional Pat Summitt Foundation presence is still part of the design, preserving a key piece of the teams identity even as the new sponsorship arrangement opens a different era. [Read more 🡒]