How much better could things go for Tennessee Vols Athletics? Tennessee Football is in the field for the first time in a College Football Playoff. It took longer than it should have, but UT is back and finally a contender for championships again under the guidance of Josh Heupel and staff. A Top 10 recruiting class has now been inked for 2025, and history says Heupel will bring in talent from the portal that will make an immediate impact for the Vols next fall.
The latest rankings in men’s basketball just dropped with the Tennessee Vols now the No. 1 team in the country. Amazing, considering this normally would be a rebuilding year for Rick Barnes given the loss of starting talent like Dalton Knecht, Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James. I’ll also include post player Jonas Aidoo in that mix, but the post game for Tennessee looks heads and shoulders above last season with the addition of transfers Felix Okpara and Igor Milicic Jr along with some outstanding play from sophomore Cade Phillips. J.P. Estrella is unfortunately out for the season with an injury or the Vols’ post game could be even more elevated this season.
The fan fretting coming into this season was who could possibly fill the scoring shoes of Dalton Knecht? It certainly didn’t take long to answer that question with Chaz Lanier filling it up from every deep angle possible on the court so far. He has every bit as much talent as Knecht exhibited in going on streaks where he just doesn’t miss for multiple trips down the court with most shots being beyond the arc. And he has demonstrated better ball handling skills during early season games which really helps the Vols move the ball down the court against pressure defense.
This college basketball men’s season appears that it will be an unexpectedly enjoyable season for Tennessee fans. But buckle your seat belts as for the first time in league history, the SEC has five teams in the current Top 10 with Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama and Florida joining the top-ranked Vols.
Moving right along, we come to the 19th ranked and undefeated Tennessee Lady Vols. I admittedly had no idea what to expect from a Kim Caldwell coached team. After watching a couple of their games this season, this team heavily driven by transfer players has post-season potential. They play an exciting 94 foot game on both ends of the court with full court pressure on defense while pushing the ball up court fast on offense. I don’t know how this team will do with SEC competition, but at the moment, it appears they could give the league heavy weights a run for their money. And the most exciting part of Kim Caldwell’s first season in my opinion is her 2025 recruiting class. That class has five signees with four players being 5-star recruits along with one with a 4-star rating. That’s Pat Summitt level recruiting that could bode well for future championship possibilities.
Throw in that Tennessee is the defending National Champion in Baseball along with defending SEC Champion in Softball. Oh, and Tennessee had multiple Vol and Lady Vol tennis players competing for individual and doubles NCAA titles this fall, plus the Lady Vols made the NCAA Volleyball tournament. I’m sure I’ve failed to mention other outstanding performances with the Swim & Dive team, Cross Country teams and Lady Vols Soccer but you get the picture.
It is truly a great time to be a Tennessee Vols fan. Tennessee is the current 3-time SEC Directors Cup holder recognizing the league’s most outstanding athletics program and it is going to be hard to beat in 2024-25!
