🏈 Tennessee Football's big summer

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

We’re back for a week to discuss Tennessee football as the Vols prepare for summer workouts.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Numbers suggest Tennessee might be better than prognosticators think

• Areas to address as the Vols go through their final stretch before fall camp

• An upcoming event to help an important East Tennessee organization

• What SEC coaches think about Tennessee entering the 2025 season

TENNESSEE’S BIG TRANSFER WEEK

There have been a lot of post-spring college football rankings in the last month.

Most rankings saw Tennessee drop following the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava.

The Vols most often ranked between 18-25.

And some outlets left Tennessee off their rankings. 

But a recent update from Bill Connelly’s SP+ at ESPN might restore some optimism for UT fans. 

The SP+ rankings have Tennessee at No. 13, which was sixth best in the SEC.

It’s one of the highest post-spring rankings we’ve seen for UT. 

Connelly’s numbers rank Tennessee’s defense No. 7 in the nation. 

The offense ranks 34th… which isn’t great. 

But Connelly said Tennessee’s replacement for Nico helped.

We’ll see what kind of impact Aguilar can make (and he still has to win the job, which we’ll get to).

But Tennessee’s College Football Playoff potential is still there. 

Here’s a look at where Tennessee’s power-conference opponents rank in the SP+:

Alabama - No. 2
Georgia - No. 4
Florida - No. 14
Oklahoma - No. 16
Arkansas - No. 38
Kentucky - No. 43
Vanderbilt - No. 55
Syracuse - No. 56
Mississippi State - No. 71

Not an easy slate of opponents. 

Tennessee’s current win total for the 2025 season is at 8.5, according to oddsmakers.

But Tennessee has a clear advantage against five of those teams, based on the SP+ ranking.

Tennessee will need to go 7-2 in the nine games above to make the playoff.

That’s a tall task.

But it’s doable, according to the SP+.

SUMMER QUESTIONS FOR TENNESSEE

As Tennessee prepares for summer workouts, there are plenty of questions to consider.

Here are a few areas that need addressing as the Vols prepare for fall camp in two months.

🟠 The QB Battle

Tennessee has a real quarterback battle on its hands. 

It’s easy to assume Aguilar will win the job — and he very well could. 

But second-year quarterback Jake Merklinger won’t give up on the job. 

Freshman George MacIntyre will compete for it, too.

“This is a wide-open competition,” Austin Price of Volquest said on Thursday’s show. 

What kind of relationship can Aguilar build with his teammates this summer?

And how comfortable will UT’s coaches be with him in the next 60-90 days?

Those are big questions as summer workouts begin. 

🟠 The center position

Tennessee was fortunate to have Cooper Mays start at center the last four years. 

Does Tennessee have his replacement ready to go?

Second-year linemen William Satterwhite and Max Anderson are battling for the job. 

Satterwhite entered spring practice as the favorite to win it. 

But there’s no indication he’s solidified the spot. 

If UT’s staff lacks confidence in Anderson and Satterwhite, Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton could slide over to center. 

But that would leave a question at right guard 

Figuring out the center position is a priority this summer. 

🟠 Emerging edges

Tennessee has a lot of talent at the Edge position on defense. 

But the Vols lack experience. 

Joshua Josephs is expected to help lead the group. 

That needs to happen — along with others emerging. 

Is Caleb Herring ready to shine?

What about Jordan Ross, a five-star signee in the 2024 class?

🟠 Linebackers’ next step

Is Arion Carter ready to become one of the SEC’s top linebackers?

That would be great for Tennessee’s defense. 

Carter missed spring practice as he recovered from surgery during the winter. 

But he has two years of experience and a lot of talent. 

Remember what linebackers coach William Inge said about Carter before the 2024 season?

“You can see he’s going to be one of the elite linebackers that you all will be talking about in the day to come and years to come,” Inge said.

Can Carter reach an elite level this season?

And are Jeremiah Telander, Edwin Spillman and Jordan Burns ready to play at a high level?

That answer will have a big impact on Tennessee’s defense. 

Let’s see if Carter can lead the way.

🟠 Who’s leading the receivers?

Tennessee wide receivers all have a great opportunity this fall. 

The time they put in with UT’s new-look quarterback room will play a big role in the success of the offense this fall. 

Jayson Swain discussed the WR room and the importance of leadership there earlier this spring. 

Here’s a video to revisit the conversation. 

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 It looks like Tennessee signed the SEC’s affiliation agreement and agreed to “alter or clarify” state laws that might contradict the House settlement.

🏈 A 16-team CFB Playoff model is gaining traction. The field would feature five conference champions and 11 at-large spots.

🏈 In the SEC, storming the field or court will now cost the home school $500,000 per incident.

🏈 Mike Leach and Les Miles are eligible for the College Football Hall of Fame as the required career winning percentage was adjusted from 60.0 to 59.5.

🏀 NCAA president Charlie Baker confirmed the NCAA has conversations with TV partners about expanding the NCAA tournament to 72 or 76 teams.

🏀 Here’s a look at winners and losers from the NBA Draft decision deadline.

⚾ Liam Doyle will start for Tennessee in the NCAA Regional opener against Miami (OH). Here’s info on the schedule of the Knoxville Regional.

JOSH’S 40 FOR 40

We have a fun event planned for next week. 

On Wednesday, June 4, I’m going to attempt to run 40 miles… in one day.

Why?

1. It’s a personal challenge as I’m about to turn 40.

2. To raise money for Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee

Second Harvest is a wonderful organization that helps feed more than 200,000 people across 18 counties in East Tennessee. 

The money we raise with our Virtual Food Drive will support Second Harvest’s Food For Kids program.

So I’ll attempt the 40 miles at Cherokee Farm greenway to see if we can raise some money in the process.

The Sports Animal will broadcast live at Cherokee Farm from 9-3.

And everyone’s welcome to join me on the greenway during the event.

➡️ I’d love it if you’d consider donating to our Virtual Food Drive HERE.

A big thank you to A.G. Heins Company — a great local company — for sponsoring our 40 for 40 effort. 

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

A fun part of the college football summer: preseason magazine time. 

The Athlon Sports magazine always includes anonymous quotes from coaches talking about other teams. 

It’s a chance to see what coaches think about the teams they’ll face on the field.

Here are a few quotes from coaches in the SEC talking about Tennessee: 

Takeaway: Is this coach saying to lower expectations?

That’s probably already happened.

Would a 9-3 or 8-4 season be “easier to stomach” this season?

There are varying opinions on that idea.

Takeaway: This quote would match the optimism that comes from Heupel’s track record coaching quarterbacks.

Hendon Hooker had great success under Heupel after a less-than-stellar time at Virginia Tech.

The turnaround for Aguilar, if he starts, is much quicker than it was for Hooker in 2021.

Takeaway: This is why we wrote about players emerging at the Edge position and the importance of Carter stepping up at linebacker.

How quickly will Jermod McCoy return from his ACL? And how close to 100 percent will he be when he returns?

That will play a big role in the play of Tennessee’s secondary.

Takeaway: What do you make of this quote?

It somewhat reads like the coach is trying to be nice.

Saying the QB play “won’t be awful” is not the same as saying “it will be good.”

Tennessee will have a lot to prove on offense this fall.

But you knew that already.

Heupel and his players know it, too.

Interested in ordering the Athlon preview magazine? Here’s a link.

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