Where Tennessee falls in post-spring power rankings from prominent national media outlet
The Tennessee Vols are hoping to show in 2023 that their 11-2 season in 2022 wasn't a fluke. Fans in Knoxville are confident that Tennessee is "back", but the rest of the nation wants to see the Vols do it again in 2023 before going all-in on UT football. The start of the season is […]
The Tennessee Vols are hoping to show in 2023 that their 11-2 season in 2022 wasn't a fluke.
Fans in Knoxville are confident that Tennessee is "back", but the rest of the nation wants to see the Vols do it again in 2023 before going all-in on UT football.
The start of the season is still over three months away, but expectations and narratives about the 2023 season are already forming.
Late May is universally viewed as the quietest part of the year when it comes to college football. Outside of recruiting, there isn't much happening right now.
That's why we often see power rankings popping up this time of the year. In fact, On3 revealed their post-spring power rankings this week. And they have a cautiously optimistic view of the Volunteers.
On3 has Tennessee at No. 12 in their post-spring power rankings. They have three SEC teams ahead of the Vols (Georgia at No. 1, LSU at No. 4, and Alabama at No. 5).
From On3: Coming off their best season in 25 years, the Vols are looking to continue on their upward trajectory under third-year head coach Josh Heupel. Joe Milton is the next man up at QB, with ballyhooed 5-star freshman Nico Iamaleava waiting in the wings.
Even without Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman, Tennessee’s offense is expected to remain elite in 2023, with guys like Squirrel White and Bru McCoy the next future household names Knoxville. What sort of leap the can the defense make — with newcomers like BYU transfer Keenan Pili and freshman Arion Carter — remains the question
This feels fair for the Vols. Whether fans like it or not, Tennessee is going to have to win more than 10 games in back to back to seasons before the national media shows more belief in the Vols.
What's surprising about these rankings is that On3 is so high on LSU. The Tigers had a strong finish to the 2022 season, but it certainly feels like their standing as national title contenders is a bit presumptuous.
Of course, these rankings will have no impact on what actually happens this fall. But it's still a good way to gauge how teams are being viewed heading into the 2023 season.
