SEC Football: Preseason power rankings for 2023 season
By Matt Melton
4. Tennessee Volunteers
Coming off a strong 2022 season, Tennessee, who enters year three of the Josh Heupel era, sits at No. 4 in our 2023 preseason SEC football power rankings.
The Volunteers posted what was their best single-season in recent memory in 2022, finishing the year at 11-2 overall, as well as 6-2 in SEC play. Winning the Orange Bowl to conclude the year, this was Tennessee’s first 10-win season since 2007, with their SEC win total also the highest since that 2007 season.
Returning for Tennessee this season are numerous names on offense such as Jabari Small, Jaylen Wright, Bru McCoy, Squirrel White, and Ramel Keyton, among others, while Joe Milton III also takes over as the Volunteers starting quarterback. Also back for Tennessee defensively are other top names from a year ago such as Aaron Beasley, Jaylen McCollough, Tamarion McDonald, Kamal Hadden, and more.
Tennessee has also added multiple impact transfers to the mix on both sides of the ball as well, with the likes of Donte Thornton Jr., Gabe Jeudy-Lally, and McCallan Castles all among the names to know. The Volunteers also have a few true freshman that could make an impact this season, headlined by Nico Iamaleava, Cameron Seldon, and Daevin Hobbs.
Beginning their 2023 season in Week 1, Tennessee will open the year with a neutral-site matchup in Nashville, TN against Virginia.