The Tennessee Vols were hoping to return to the College Football Playoff in 2025.

But an unexpected quarterback change and a youth movement altered those plans.

Tennessee finished the 2025 season with an 8-5 record. The Vols, however, were just a few plays away from putting themselves in a position to reach the playoff.

With so much roster violiatity from year to year, it’s getting tougher to predict which 12 teams will make the playoff. But even with that unpredictability, there aren’t many folks this offseason who are high on Tennessee’s chances of being a playoff team in 2026.

Former Georgia defensive lineman David Pollack shares some thoughts on the Tennessee Vols

Former Georgia Bulldogs defensive lineman David Pollack shared some thoughts this week on See Ball Get Ball on the current state of Tennessee football.

Pollack doesn’t think the Vols will be a playoff team in 2026, but he still thinks they’ll be good. And he thinks there’s plenty to be excited about moving forward.

“They’re gonna have losses,” said Pollack. “Tennessee, they’re not going to the playoff, to me. They’re not going to be a playoff team. Here’s the thing: seven wins, 11 wins, nine wins, 10 wins, eight wins. Like, that’s (Josh) Heupel’s floor. That is pretty dang good, Tennessee fans.

“I think they’re in the eight or nine (wins) range. Because I do think the defense is going to be good. I think (Jim) Knowles is a good fit…I think Tennessee is going to be good. So Tennessee fans, you’ve got to be excited about who you have. And I also think the system — like, Tennessee is very much in the NIL world doing a good job. They lost, I think, 28 guys to the portal, they bring in 20. And [they’re] getting some elite level high school recruits. So, I don’t think Tennessee football is going anywhere. I love the additions for them, and I think quarterback play is just a given.”

I don’t want to put a ceiling on what Tennessee can accomplish in 2026. At this point, given the parity in sport due to rosters that change dramatically from year to year, there aren’t many teams that would surprise me by sneaking into the playoff. So we’ll see how the season plays out for the Vols.

What I think is interesting is that Pollack has a positive view of Tennessee even though he doesn’t think they’ll reach the playoff. And I love that. I think that’s great for the sport. We need less of the playoff or bust mentality in college football — it’s not good for coaches, it’s not good for the student-athletes, and it’s certainly not good for the parents of student-athletes.

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That’s definitely one that got away for the Tennessee Vols.

Zach Ragan