Tennessee's first-ever run to the College Football Playoff ended at Ohio State nearly a month ago.
On Monday night, the Buckeyes completed their run with their first national championship in a decade, beating Notre Dame, 34-23 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta in the grand finale of the 2024 season.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
The Vols, who were eliminated by Ohio State in the first round of the expanded 12-team playoff's debut in December, finished with 10 wins for the second time in three years and finished No. 9 in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll Tuesday.
Tennessee (10-3) dropped two spots after its 42-17 season-ending defeat in Columbus but remained inside the top 10 for the second time under Josh Heupel.
It marks the first time since the Vols' dominating decade-plus stretch through the 1990s that the program has had three-straight AP Top 25 finishes.
Tennessee was the third highest-ranked SEC team in the poll, trailing only No. 4 Texas and No. 6 Georgia, who each had their seasons ended in the playoff semifinal and quarterfinal, respectively.
Ole Miss (11), Alabama (17), South Carolina (19) and Missouri (22) rounded out the league in the rankings.
The Vols' 2024 season was headlined by wins over Alabama and Florida at home with road losses at Arkansas and Georgia its only blemishes in the regular season. Running back Dylan Sampson, who was tabbed the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, paced Tennessee's offense, finishing as the program's all-time leader in single-season rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Where Tennessee landed in ESPN's 'Way-Too-Early' Top 25
Defensively, the Vols were ranked top 10 in nearly every category and the catalyst for the team's overall success, holding opponents to under 20 points in 10 games.
Tennessee will have replace some of the production if it plans to make a return trip to the playoff in 2025. Sampson and All-SEC edge rusher James Pearce Jr. both declared for the NFL Draft and the Vols lose three key pieces on its offensive line, including veteran center Cooper Mays.
Three leading receivers in Dont'e Thornton Jr., Bru McCoy and Squirrel White are also gone
Tennessee returns soon-to-be sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava after 2,616 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions in his first season as the Vols' full-time starter. Former five-star prospect Mike Matthews is expected to bolster the receivers room after playing a limited role as a freshman and experienced tight end Miles Kitselman was granted another year of eligibility.
Tennessee added former Arizona guard offensive guard Wendell Moe Jr. to shore up some of its losses up front, along with Duke running back Star Thomas to add some much-needed experience and depth alongside returning backs Peyton Lewis and DeSean Bishop.
Defensively, the Vols will feature one of the top corner tandems in the SEC in Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson III, while Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander headline the linebacking corps.
Tennessee opens its 2025 season against Syracuse on Aug. 30 in Atlanta. The Orange finished No. 20 in the final AP poll after winning 10 games.
– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.
– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.
– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.
