8/7/2023 football Edit

Tennessee lands in top 10 of preseason Coaches Poll

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III (7) celebrates after the Orange Bowl game between the Tennessee Vols and Clemson Tigers at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Friday, Dec. 30, 2022. Tennessee defeated Clemson 31-14. (Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Noah Taylor • VolReport

Managing Editor

Noah is a graduate of the UT College of Journalism & Electronic Media and has covered Tennessee football since 2019. He joined Rivals in 2022.

Tennessee will open the 2023 season as a top 10 team in at least one poll.

The USA TODAY/Coaches Top 25 Poll ranked the Vols at No. 10 a year after winning 11 games in head coach Josh Heupel's second season.

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Tennessee is one of six SEC team that were ranked and the fourth inside the top 10 with two-time defending national champion Georgia taking the top billing and Alabama (3) and LSU (5) rounding out the top five.

Tennessee is slated to face Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 21 and will play host to No. 25 Texas A&M on Oct. 14 and Georgia on Nov. 18 at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee returns a number of key contributors from last season's Orange Bowl-winning team, including quarterback Joe Milton III, who passed for 971 yards and 10 touchdowns mostly behind Hendon Hooker in 2022.

The Vols' receiving corps includes Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton as well as Oregon transfer Dont'e Thornton.

Aside from some notable losses in edge Byron Young and linebacker Jeremy Banks, Tennessee has most of its production back on defense, most notably leading tackler and linebacker Aaron Beasley.

Tennessee is currently going through its second week of fall camp as it prepares for its season opener against Virginia on Sept. 2 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

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