Syracuse Football 2025 Opponent Preview: The No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers

It’s almost here! The start of the 2025 football season for the Syracuse Orange is Saturday at high noon when Fran Brown’s team takes on the Tennessee Volunteers in Atlanta. We learned about Tennessee before the season, but now that the game has arrived, it’s time to take a deep dive into the team Syracuse will be facing this week.

Where is Tennessee ranked?

The Volunteers will open the season ranked No. 24 in the AP poll. Meanwhile, the coaches are higher on the Vols, as Tennessee is ranked No. 18 in the coaches poll.

Where is Tennessee in the standings?

Since there have been no games in the SEC yet, the Volunteers are tied with everyone else in that league at 0-0. While the Vols will fancy themselves as contenders in the SEC this season, there are at least seven or eight teams with shorter odds to win the SEC title this year, so they project to be middle of the pack in the nation’s deepest conference.

What did Tennessee do last week?

The Volunteers weren’t among the teams to play in Week 0, so Saturday will be their season opener as well. The last time we saw Josh Heupel’s team, they took a 42-17 loss against Ohio State in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Between the cold weather and a stacked Buckeyes team that eventually won the national championship, the Vols didn’t have much of a chance in that game.

Who is Tennessee’s quarterback?

Tennessee’s starting quarterback is Joey Aguilar, who, at age 24, is among the oldest college football players in the country. Aguilar has had quite the journey after entering college in 2019. He redshirted at City College of San Francisco that year and then didn’t play in 2020 after transferring to Diablo Valley junior college because of the pandemic.

Eventually, Aguilar played two seasons at Diablo Valley before transferring to Appalachian State. He went 13-11 in two seasons as the starter for the Mountaineers, throwing 56 touchdown passes and 24 interceptions across those two seasons. Aguilar transferred to UCLA after last season. However, when Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee and transferred to UCLA, Aguilar left the Bruins and transferred to Tennessee in a unique but unplanned quarterback swap.

As expected, Aguilar won the starting job during preseason camp. He brings a wealth of experience, albeit not in a power conference. Despite leading Appalachian State to the Sun Belt Championship Game in 2023 (a 49-23 loss to Troy), he failed to elevate the Mountaineers last season. Despite throwing for over 3,000 yards for the second straight year, Aguilar’s completion percentage dropped from 63.7% in 2023 to 55.9% last season. He also threw 10 fewer touchdowns and four more interceptions in 2024 compared to the previous season.

Who are Tennessee’s other stars?

Tennessee’s best overall player is likely cornerback Jermod McCoy. He’s projected as a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft. However, after tearing his ACL during the winter, he may not be ready to face Syracuse or play for the Vols during the early part of the season.

With McCoy’s status up in the air, middle linebacker Arion Carter will be the key player on the Tennessee defense. He led the Volunteers in tackles last season and also had six defended passes and an interception, so he can play both the run and the pass.

Also, much like Syracuse true freshman Demetres Samuel, the Volunteers have a two-way player. Boo Carter will start in the secondary, return punts, and spend time at wide receiver, making him a triple threat.

What is Tennessee’s biggest flaw?

Ahead of the 2025 season, the biggest concern for Tennessee is how many new faces are on the offense. In addition to a new quarterback, the Vols lost last year’s top rusher Dylan Sampson, who was the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and their top three wide receivers. The Tennessee offensive line also features two transfers, two freshmen, and no seniors, creating some questions. If nothing else, there could be continuity issues for the Tennessee offense early in the season.

How does Syracuse beat Tennessee?

As a two-touchdown underdog, Syracuse needs a lot to go right to beat Tennessee. It starts with stopping the running game. Even with a group of running backs who were mere understudies last season and a new-look offensive line, the Volunteers will expect to win in the trenches. Also, over the past three seasons, Tennessee is 23-0 when rushing for at least 185 yards. Keeping the Vols below that number and forcing the turnover-prone Aguilar to beat them with his arm will give Syracuse a chance.

Of course, the Orange also has to find answers to its own questions. Can the new-look Syracuse offensive line hold up? Can wide receivers like Johntay Cook and Justus Ross-Simmons step up? Will the transfers on the defensive side of the ball make an immediate impact? Most importantly, is Steve Angeli as ready as he looked during his one drive against Penn State in last year’s CFP? If Angeli can prove to be the better quarterback, which isn’t that far-fetched, and the rest of the team can hold its own, Syracuse could spring the upset.