Josh Heupel is a very polarizing coach in the college football world. For one, he took over a struggling Tennessee program and revived it. The Vols are now a team capable of competing for titles while building a roster through elite recruiting and strong assistant coaches. On the other hand, many Vols fans have become frustrated with the constant just being "really good" and not even climbing over the peak to become great.
Considering this, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic released his Top-25 college football coach rankings. Tennessee's Heupel came in at No. 17 on this list, dropping two spots from last year's rankings after the Vols went 8-5 in 2025.
Josh Heupel is a great head coach
The obvious concern Vols fans have is if Tennesse's offensive style can beat great defenses like Georgia, Alabama, and Oklahoma. This year, Heupel did implement more pro-style concepts and fewer option-type plays. From a purely football standpoint, the Vols still put up great offensive numbers, and with Jim Knowles now in charge of the defense, Tennessee might have two of the best play-callers in the sport on both sides of the ball. However, the offense still needs to prove it can compete against the top teams.
For Tennessee, the significance of Heupel l is obvious. Not only is he a solid X's and O's coach, but he is one of the best recruiters in the country. In the portal era of college football, being able to attract talent has never been more important. Plus, he is bringing in high school five-stars left and right. Players want to be about the Tennessee tradition, and Heupel does a great job selling it, unlike previous coaches who have been in Rocky Top.
Many think that Heupel could be on the hot seat this fall, after taking a step back after making the College Football Playoff in 2024. The biggest concern is the fact that Tennessee has a playoff-caliber roster, but the quarterback position is an unknown. If Tennessee gets average quarterback play from George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon, or Ryan Staub, they will be successful in 2026.
The proof is in the results with Josh Heupel. He has revived Tennessee and made it a relevant brand once again.