Tennessee football is looking to make another run to the College Football Playoff in 2025. The Vols made its first CFP appearance since its inception in 2014.
National Championship-winning head coach and Fox Sports analyst Urban Meyer believes Tennessee could be a dark horse for winning the College Football Playoff next season, while Texas is his favorite to win it all next year.
Meyer is high on Nico Iamaleava coming off his freshman season. The offense needs to make many improvements to contend for a national championship, but the groundwork is there, and Meyer is impressed with the flashes Nico has shown.
"Nico, the quarterback at Tennessee, I have them (as a dark horse to win it all)," Meyer said. "I remember when I first started studying them last year, I called Brady Quinn and Matt Leinart and said, 'What am I missing here? This guy looks like Aaron Rodgers'. The ball comes out of his hand like a tennis ball."
"If that kid grows as a quarterback, he could be — you know, I asked the question after watching [Tennessee], and I know he wasn't playing great teams, but just his physical ability, his size, speed, athleticism, and the ball comes out [good], I saw him as a high first-round draft pick. Now, that remains to be seen, but I'll pick Tennessee (as a dark horse option to win the national championship)."
Tennessee's odds of winning a national title revolve around the offensive line's development and Nico's performance in year two.
If Josh Heupel can develop Nico and the offensive line can see improvements from last season, the Vols could be a serious contender for the national championship.
The offense has to be more dynamic, and the defense has to continue to dominate, with Tim Banks returning as the defensive coordinator. If all of that happens, Tennessee very well could compete for a national championship.