Tennessee’s 2025 Impact Position Groups **Besides** QB
Image: Knoxville News-Sentinel
By Sam Beard
The 2025-2026 Tennessee Football team has a few more eyeballs on them leading into this season. Nico Iamaleava decided to shake up the college football landscape by essentially having our first ever college football “hold-out.” He takes his talents…and off-field baggage to Westwood now.
Out with Nico Iamaleava, in with Joey Aguilar. A move that wasn’t on our offseason bingo cards that has sent the Vol faithful into a spiral. Is Heupel the guy? Can we win 8 games? The vibes were low there for a few weeks as your QB situation was flipped on its head. There’s been enough QB talk. For right now I’m gonna give Heupel the benefit of the doubt as “QB whisperer” and focus my attention on returning players who will help fill the gap that Nico’s might’ve left.
1. The running game
It’s the most important element of the Josh Heupel offense. We saw what an elite RB in Dylan Sampson can do to help a rather pedestrian passing attack. Last year was statistically one of the worst years of QB production in Heupel’s coaching career. What helps soften that blow? A guy who can give you nearly 1,500 yards and 22 TDs.
Don’t expect to see a breakout star in this room for the ‘25 season, but I'd expect an extremely productive room by committee. DeSean Bishop felt like he could fall for 3-4 yards last year and was always running hard, Peyton Lewis has great size and strength for the speed /big-play ability he’s got, and Duke transfer Star Thomas provides a nice veteran presence to this room. I would bet on the Vols leaning on these three to will them to victory in more than a couple games this Fall.
2. The Rodney Garner wrecking crew
There’s no coincidence the two most important groups are the bread and butter of this team. If you have questions about your QB then I would expect Heupel and Co. to lean on the run game and that defensive line. Sure, you lost guys like James Pearce Jr., Omarr Norman Lott, and Omari Thomas, but Garner has shown us that his group can reload. Expect Joshua Josephs to become the next James Pearce of this group. Jaxon Moi, Bryson Eason, and Tyre West are my other returning names to have huge years as their role increases. If there’s any position group I have faith to produce each Saturday it’s these guys.
3. The men up front protecting Joey Aguilar/Jake Merklinger
Football is won in the trenches after all, and the trenches weren’t nice to the Vols starting off the Iamaleava tenure in 2024. Tennessee will be replacing 4 new players on that OL along with an entirely new interior.
Lance Heard wasn’t in shape to start his season and John Campbell couldn’t stay healthy. I expect to see a lot more continuity at the tackle spot this fall. By all accounts, Heard has really taken a leadership position in this OL room and 5 star freshman David Sanders should start at right tackle. If the interior can play some good ball I would expect to see a much improved line. I like the transfer guards expected to start with Sam Pendleton and Wendell Moe. My only question lies with William Satterwhite at center. Satterwhite has plenty of talent on paper, but how quick he adjusts to life in the SEC is the difference maker.
4. Do we have a true WR1 emerge from an unproven group?
There was a lot of off-season talk about how Tennessee never prioritized a big name at WR in the portal period. Chris Brazzell, Mike Matthews, and Braylon Staley seem to be the easy names that will be your day one starters. Matthews and Staley are two guys that I’m really excited about, but it’s also fair to say they haven’t proven what they can do against top level competition. Who do you have outside of these three? Boo Carter? Travis Smith or Amari Jefferson? The production of this WR room was already a storyline I was monitoring, it’s only magnified when a new QB is stepping in on short notice.
5. Back-end secondary depth
The Jermod McCoy injury hurts, but the addition of Colton Hood eases the nerves of most fans. I think the combo of Rickey Gibson and Colton Hood will be more than serviceable until McCoy gets back from his ACL injury. Where I have questions is at the safety spot. Jakobe Thomas with a surprising spring departure pushes Kaleb Beasley or Edrees Farooq into the starting role. I have the same feeling here as I do the WR room, lots of talent on paper, but still unproven on the field against SEC competition. Safety felt like a position that got exposed in the CFP against Ohio State. I would imagine Willie Martinez has been working hard to make sure that won’t happen again.