One of the biggest takeaways from the 2025 season was that Tennessee fell short of the ultimate goal, but the youth movement is here, and the young core has a chance to grow into something special.
Even though the Vols went 8-4, we saw some encouraging things from Ty Redmond, David Sanders Jr., and SEC freshman of the Year Braylon Staley, and plenty of others. Josh Heupel was on The Mike Keith Show talking about Vols football, and he doubled down on the program's very bright future.
Heupel said, “Well, we were a young football team. Inside the landscape of college football, inside of the landscape of this league, I think it speaks to our ability to take high-level talent and get them prepared quickly to go play at a really high level. I think it speaks to the future of this program."
Josh Heupel sees the Vols youth as an advantage
Josh Heupel said what a lot of fans were thinking out loud. The coaching staff took a very young team and made them very competitive. Was the 2025 team inconsistent, and did the youth show that? Yes, definitely, but if that kick goes in versus Georgia, who knows where this team ends up.
The coaching staff's ability to get the young guys ready from day one is a major advantage over many programs. Ideally, we won't have to rely on freshmen completely, but if they're an asset, why not use them?
You can’t overlook the fact that Tennessee just brought in its best class since Josh Heupel arrived in Knoxville. This is just another reason to be excited about the future of Tennessee football.
Either way, this version of program building is sustainable. Tennessee can recruit high school hard and develop players. When they see a need, they can spend big on a more-than-capable veteran to fill that role. For better or worse, in the new era of college football, it's a lot easier to recruit ur own roster than it is to go out and beat Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, and the rest of the big dogs for elite transfer portal talent.
What matters most is that Tennessee will be a contender moving forward. Josh Heupel has a great core to move forward with. 2026 is on the clock.