Tennessee football fans are eager to know whether the Vols will surge or limp toward the end of the 2025 season.
Either outcome seems plausible after UT beat New Mexico State 42-9 on Nov. 15 with a lopsided score but a subpar performance.
No. 20 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) plays Florida (3-7, 2-5) in Gainesville on Nov. 22 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Then it finishes the regular season at home against No. 13 Vanderbilt (8-2, 4-2) on Nov. 29.
Fans asked questions about how UT could play in these final two games and how that affects its bowl bid. They also had concerns about the New Mexico State game. So let’s dive into the Vols mailbag.
After an eventful day in the SEC, what are UT’s bowl scenarios?
The more SEC teams that make the College Football Playoff, the better it is for Tennessee’s bowl position. The SEC could get four or five teams into the CFP.
The Citrus Bowl (Dec. 31 in Orlando, Florida) gets the first pick of the SEC teams not in the playoff, and UT would be very fortunate to get into that mix. After that, UT would prefer to go to the ReliaQuest Bowl (Dec. 31 in Tampa, Florida) or Gator Bowl (Dec. 27 in Jacksonville, Florida). If UT finished with a 9-3 record, it likely would land in one of those Florida bowls.
The Music City Bowl (Dec. 30 in Nashville) makes sense for the Vols if they go 8-4 or 7-5.
The Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Jan. 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina), Texas Bowl (Dec. 27 in Houston) and Liberty Bowl (Jan. 2 in Memphis) also have SEC tie-ins. But those are less likely.
Better chance that the Vols finish 7-5 or 9-3?
A betting man would probably split the difference and say 8-4. But it’s plausible to see the Vols going 7-5, 8-4 or 9-3.
There’s a lot of parity in the SEC. Rivalries equalize games further. On paper, Florida is worse than Vanderbilt. But UT plays Florida on the road and Vanderbilt at home. So these games could go either way.
How much do these games really matter?
From a playoff-or-bust perspective, these last two games don’t matter. But the trajectory of the program and Josh Heupel’s coaching tenure is on the line.
A 9-3 record and a chance for a 10th win in the bowl would keep the program at a stable level. The Vols have averaged 10 wins over the past three seasons.
An 8-4 record would feel less satisfying, especially because that would include a loss to either Florida or Vanderbilt.
A 7-5 record would feel like the Vols were starting over. They won seven games in Heupel’s first season in 2021.
What young players stood out vs New Mexico State?
On offense, freshman receiver Braylon Staley continues to impress. He’s a candidate for SEC Freshman of the Year, and he’ll undoubtedly be a Freshman All-American. Freshman right tackle David Sanders also played well.
Cornerback Ty Redmond and linebacker Jadon Perlotte are impressive freshmen on defense. Redmond had five tackles and a one-handed interception. Perlotte sometimes misses assignments and takes poor angles, but he’s a fast physical player who loves to hit. In time, he’ll hone his understanding of the scheme and his assignments.
Why didn’t George MacIntyre play more?
UT needed to build a bigger lead and do it earlier for freshman quarterback George MacIntyre to get more snaps.
A 21-3 halftime lead wasn’t enough to turn to a backup quarterback. Backup Jake Merklinger only got two offensive plays before MacIntyre entered the game with UT leading 42-9 in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, that may be the last snaps UT fans see of MacIntyre this regular season. The Florida and Vanderbilt games will probably be close.
What transfer QB will Tennessee get in the portal?
I don’t have a name for you at this point, and the transfer portal opens Jan. 2. Assuming Merklinger enters the portal, that will leave MacIntyre and, presumably, five-star commitment Faizon Brandon on the 2026 roster.
The bigger question is whether UT anticipates MacIntyre and Brandon competing for the starting job. UT may add a transfer quarterback because it needs three players at the position. But that doesn’t mean UT will add a premier transfer to start over MacIntyre.
Teams must either develop blue-chip recruits or sign transfers to play quarterback, but it’s very difficult to do both in this era of the portal and NIL. For now, UT has two blue-chip quarterbacks lined up for 2026.
Is there any chance of Jermod McCoy playing?
Well, there are only two games remaining, so it doesn’t look promising.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy is still listed as a projected first-round pick in mock drafts, and a top-10 pick in some of them. If he believes he’ll be a first-round pick without playing for Tennessee this season, there’s no reason to return to the field.
Will Rickey Gibson return to UT in 2026?
Anything can happen in the transfer portal era. But the indication is that Rickey Gibson will return next season as UT’s top cornerback and play opposite Redmond. Gibson has been rehabbing from his injury in anticipation of returning.
Of course, that assumes that McCoy and Colton Hood enter the 2026 NFL Draft. McCoy is projected as a first-round pick. Hood is projected as a late first-round or second-round pick in most mock drafts.
Were injured players held out for precautionary reasons?
Heupel said most of the newly injured players could’ve played if this was an SEC game, although he didn’t specify which players fall into that category.
It’s important for linebacker Arion Carter and edge rushers Joshua Josephs and Jordan Ross to return against Florida. But we’ll get a better indication from the SEC availability report.
Why didn’t backup wide receivers play more?
There aren’t many to choose from. Freshman Radarious Jackson got into the game in the first half, played 16 snaps and was targeted twice. Joey Aguilar’s second thrown interception was intended for Jackson.
However, UT has only seven wide receivers on scholarship. Three of them start. Freshman Travis Smith is out with an injury. Jackson played against New Mexico State.
Freshman Joakim Dodson appears to be redshirting. Redshirt freshman Amari Jefferson, an Alabama transfer, is behind walk-ons on the depth chart.
Is the running game going to be effective again?
It’s not trending in the right direction. UT averaged 4.3 yards (Alabama), 3.3 yards (Kentucky) and 1.8 yards (Oklahoma) per rushing attempt in the previous three games.
The Vols rushed for 194 yards and four TDs on 39 attempts against New Mexico State, averaging 5 yards per carry. Those are good numbers. But they lacked breakaways runs.
The longest rushes were Aguilar’s 27-yard TD run and running back Star Thomas’ 21-yard TD run.
Florida has talent on the defensive line, but its rushing defense has struggled late in the season. In their last two games, the Gators allowed 233 rushing yards against Kentucky and 237 rushing yards against Ole Miss.
UT probably won’t beat Florida without a balanced attack that includes a productive ground game.
What needs to be upgraded this offseason?
Some positions must be improved while others will need to be replenished due to players exhausting their eligibility. But those aren’t necessarily the same tasks.
Defensive secondary needs better players and more players from the portal. Interior defensive line needs replenishing. Whether Carter enters the NFL Draft could determine if linebacker is a need.
UT could consider adding a depth piece at running back. Quarterback could be handled in numerous ways.
The bottom line is that UT’s needs largely will depend on what it loses in the portal.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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