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SEC Network host Paul Finebaum has made a grim prediction for the Tennessee Vols’ playoff chances in the 2025 season. Finebaum, an alumnus of the university, is not convinced that the Vols will repeat their impressive feat of making the playoff. The program made it to the playoff last season for the first time in its history.
However, during a segment on SportsCenter on Saturday, Finebaum expressed the view that Josh Heupel’s team will fall just short of that mark this season. His reasoning for this prediction is the loss of a key player from last season’s offense, quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who transferred through the portal. He said:
“Tennessee will not make the playoffs. I’m very out on that, and it really has to do with losing Nico (Iamaleava) to UCLA. Joey Aguilar is serviceable—Tennessee is good. I think they will come close to the playoffs, but I can’t, in good conscience, predict that even though I just heard from the dean of Tennessee and they’ve revoked my degree.”
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During their first playoff appearance last season, Heupel’s team lost to Ohio State in the first round. The Buckeyes went on to win the national championship. Meanwhile, the achievement raised the standards for what is expected of Heupel and his team by the Vols’ fans.
In a controversial turn of events, the relationship between Iamaleava and the program soured during the off-season. This led to his departure in the spring, when he headed for the UCLA Bruins, leaving Heupel to search for a new leader for his offense.
Josh Heupel explains how he decided on Nico Iamaleava’s replacement at Tennessee
Following the Vols’ first fall practice on Wednesday, head coach Josh Heupel explained to newsmen how he decided on his new quarterback, Joey Aguilar. He said:
“I think the maturity that he demonstrated on the phone, as you get a chance to go through his history, what matters to him and what he’s looking for, what he cares about, fit the culture piece of it. Obviously, studied the film as well. So I felt like it had a chance to be a really good fit at that point.”
Aguilar transferred from Appalachian State to UCLA in December, expecting to be the Bruins’ starting quarterback for the 2025 season. However, he transferred again in the spring to Tennessee after Iamaleava moved the other way.
