"One of the biggest unknowns in entire SEC": CFB insider gives a closer look at Josh Heupel & Tennessee heading into 2025

Josh Heupel will be heading into his fifth year as head coach at Tennessee after a terrific season last year. With a 10-3 record, they were able to land a spot in the College Football Playoff 12-team bracket over other top programs in the SEC, like Ole Miss, which failed to make the cut.

Heupel aims to follow this trajectory and play in 2025 as one of the underdog programs.

While analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the Volunteers, former Alabama star and college football analyst Greg McElroy claims the team is built very stable, but also highly unpredictable. They have drastically improved on defense with top commitments via the transfer portal.

This offseason turned out to be a dramatic one for Heupel, who personally lost his star QB, Nico Iamaleava, to UCLA over alleged differences in NIL contracts. However, it didn't stop the veteran coach from recruiting.

He brought in UCLA commit Joey Aguilar for the last year of his NCAA eligibility before he takes to the NFL in 2026.

“Tennessee is one of those teams that's one of the biggest unknowns in the entireSEC,” McElroy said in his ESPN podcast on Monday. (Timestamp - 43:00)

“We don't know exactly what things are going to look like at quarterback. We think Joey Aguilar, two years ago, at Appalachian State, had a really good year. It was rock solid. Last year it wasn't so good. Tried to do a little too much, took a few too many risks. Maybe he can now get back in a quarterback friendly system to play rock solid football."

"I also think the offensive line is a little bit of a question mark. They lose a lot of key pieces. Now they've been reinforced with top blue chip talent in some cases, but you lose some identity, especially with the loss of Cooper Mays their center,” he added.

Josh Heupel will enjoy a moderate schedule in 2025 season

The Vols will kick off their 2025 campaign with an ACC blockbuster against the Syracuse Orange on August 30. In Week 3, they will face the mighty Georgia, with the Alabama Crimson Tide waiting in Week 7 on the road.

Similarly, the Oklahoma Sooners will be a whole other challenge in Week 9 before taking on the Florida Gators and Vanderbilt Commodores in Week 11 and Week 12, respectively. Expect nothing less than an 11-win season for Heupel as he looks to make the playoffs once again.