Football History
2024Â Season
Record:Â 10-3
SEC Finish:Â 6-2Â (T-2nd)
Postseason:Â College Football Playoff First Round
Final Ranking: No. 9 (AP) / No. 8 (AFCA Coaches)
Coach: Josh Heupel (4th season)
Tennessee won 10 games, secured its first berth to the College Football Playoff and finished the 2024 campaign ranked top 10 in the polls for the second time in three years under head coach Josh Heupel. The Volunteers (10-3, 6-2 SEC) concluded the season as the third-highest ranked SEC team (No. 9 AP/No. 8 Coaches) and one of 13 Power Four teams to win 10 regular season games. UTÂ went undefeated in Neyland Stadium for the second time in three years with a 7-0 home record, including one-possession triumphs over rivals Florida (23-17, OT) and Alabama (24-17) in back-to-back weeks.
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The Vols led the SEC in rushing offense for the second year in a row, paced by SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson who shattered numerous program records on the ground during his junior season. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native produced the most prolific rushing campaign in school history, setting single-season school records for rushing touchdowns (22), rushing yards (1,491), points scored (132), total touchdowns scored (22) and consecutive games with a rushing touchdown (11). His 22 rushing touchdowns ranked tied for fourth nationally and were the most by an SEC player since Alabama’s Najee Harris had an FBS-best 26 in 2020.
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Tennessee’s defensive unit posted its strongest season of the Heupel era under the direction of Broyles Award finalist Tim Banks. UT surrendered its fewest point per game average since the 1998 national championship team issued 14.5 ppg, and the 209 total points in 2024 were the fewest total allowed by a UT defense since the 1999 squad issued 194. Banks' unit held 10 of their 13 opponents under 20 points and limited eight of their 10 Power Four opponents under their season scoring average. Opponents managed only 24 offensive touchdowns against the Vols, which was the fourth fewest allowed in the FBS.
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Three Vols garnered All-America status in 2024, led by Rimington Trophy finalist Cooper Mays who earned first team recognition from Sporting News, Sports Illustrated and USA Today. Six outlets tabbed Sampson with Second Team All-America honors, while sophomore cornerback Jermod McCoy claimed second team accolades from the AP and Sports Illustrated in his debut campaign on Rocky Top after leading UT with 13 passes defended and four interceptions.
2023Â Season
Record:Â 9-4
SEC Finish: 4-4 (3rd in East)
Postseason: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
Final Ranking: No. 17 (AP & AFCA Coaches)
Coach: Josh Heupel (3rd season)
A 35-0 Cheez-It Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa capped Tennessee’s 2023 season as the Vols finished No. 17 in both the AFCA Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Top 25. True freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava was named MVP of the game. In head coach Josh Heupel’s third season, the Big Orange finished 9-4 overall. It marked the first time since 2003-04 that they finished in the top 20 in back-to-back seasons. Tennessee secured a third-place finish in the SEC East. With 20 wins over the 2022-23 seasons, Heupel guided Tennessee to its winningest two-year stretch since 2003-04.
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Following impressive seasons, defensive end James Pearce Jr., running back Jaylen Wright and center Cooper Mays garnered All-SEC recognition from the Associated Press and the league’s coaches. Anchored by Mays and Wright, UT’s rushing attack led the SEC in 2023, averaging 202.6 yards per game. Wright spearheaded the ground assault, carrying it 137 times for 1,013 yards, including 592 yards after contact. His 7.39 average yards per carry led all FBS running backs with a minimum of 120 attempts. Wright became the Vols' 19th 1,000-yard rusher and reached the mark quicker than any player in school history. Led by first-team All-SEC edge rusher Pearce Jr., the UT defense ranked in the top 10 nationally in total sacks (10th - 36) and total tackles for loss (6th - 93). The sophomore finished second in the league in TFLs (14.5), and he was first in the SEC with 10 sacks.
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UT had three players – Wright (fourth round), quarterback Joe Milton III (sixth round) and cornerback Kamal Hadden (sixth round) – selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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Tennessee sold out all seven home games and averaged 101,915 fans, which led the SEC and ranked fourth nationally. That figure was UT's highest since 2007. Neyland Stadium drew an accumulated attendance of 713,405, which was also tops in the SEC and third nationally.
2022Â Season
Record:Â 11-2
SEC Finish:Â 6-2Â (2nd in East)
Postseason: Capital One Orange Bowl
Final Ranking: No. 6 (AP & AFCA Coaches)
Coach: Josh Heupel (2nd season)
Building off a successful first year under head coach Josh Heupel, Tennessee took a major leap in year two, winning 11 games for the first time since 2001 after a convincing 31-14 victory over No. 7 Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
After starting the season 8-0, the Volunteers debuted at No. 1 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings of the year, becoming just the seventh program to reach the top spot since the ranking’s induction in 2014. The Vols finished the year ranked No. 6 in the final Associated Press Top 25 and AFCA Coaches poll, their highest poll finish since they concluded 2001 at No. 4 in both polls. The Big Orange posted an 11-2 record with marquee victories over six ranked opponents in No. 17 Pitt, No. 20 Florida, No. 25 LSU, No. 3 Alabama, No. 19 Kentucky and No. 7 Clemson.
Led by redshirt senior quarterback Hendon Hooker, who finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting, UT led the nation in total offense (525.5), passing efficiency (181.4) and total touchdowns (79) for the first time in school history. A year after breaking eight team single-season records, Tennessee shattered 15 program marks during the 2022 campaign. Heupel's offensive unit rewrote the annals in total points (599), points per game, total offense (6,832), total offense per game, yards per play (7.2), total touchdowns, passing touchdowns (38), rushing touchdowns (40), completion percentage (68.7), passing efficiency, passing yards (4,239), fewest interceptions thrown (3) and first downs (330).
Tennessee had four players earn All-SEC honors while Heupel was tabbed the 2022 AP SEC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the George Munger Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club. Heupel was the recipient of the AFCA's Region 2 Coach of the Year, and he captured the fan vote for the Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
On top of being a Heisman contender, Hooker was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Year by three different outlets and was tabbed a third-team All-American by the Associated Press. He was also named a finalist for the Maxwell Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Manning Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after producing one of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in program history.
Hooker’s top target, junior receiver Jalin Hyatt, became the first wideout in program history to earn consensus first-team All-America honors and win the Biletnikoff Award after tallying 67 catches for 1,267 yards and a school-record 15 touchdowns, averaging 18.9 yards per reception and 105.6 yards per game.
2021Â Season
Record:Â 7-6
SEC Finish:Â 4-4Â (3rd in East)
Postseason: TransPerfect Music City Bowl
Coach:Â Josh Heupel (1st season)
Tennessee produced an explosive and exciting brand of football in its first year under head coach Josh Heupel. The Volunteers set eight single-season school records on the offensive side of the ball and ranked top-10 nationally in team tackles for loss. UT returned to the postseason for the TransPerfect Music City Bowl in Nashville, playing in front of the largest crowd in Nissan Stadium history. The Vols also celebrated the 125th season of the program, while recognizing the centennial season of Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won three of its final four regular season games, including a thrilling 45-42 road win at No. 18 Kentucky on Nov. 6.Â
Heupel was named co-winner of the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award and led the Vols to a strong showing in the postseason awards. Breakout quarterback Hendon Hooker, a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist, cemented his status as one of the top signal callers in the FBS, passing for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns while only giving up three interceptions. He shattered school records for single-season completion percentage (68.0) and passing efficiency (181.4). Velus Jones Jr. also had a breakout season in his final year on Rocky Top, earning First Team All-SEC and SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year acclaim. Defensive back Theo Jackson ranked second in the SEC in pass breakups with 12 en route to earning All-SEC honors from the league's coaches.
2020Â Season
Record:Â 3-7*
SEC Finish:Â 3-7*Â (5th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Jeremy Pruitt (3rd season)
*Played 10-game, SEC-only schedule due to COVID-19 pandemic
The 2020 season was one unlike any other in the history of college football. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Southeastern Conference opted to play a 10-game, conference-only schedule while schools limited stadium capacities to around 20-25 percent. The regular season did not begin until Sept. 26 and did not end until Dec. 19, the latest in program history. The Vols were able to complete all 10 of their scheduled contests with minimal postponements.
Tennessee won its first two contests of the year to run its winning streak to eight games, which was the longest in the SEC at that point. The Vols defeated South Carolina, 31-27, on the road to start the season before dominating Missouri, 35-12, in the home opener to improve to 2-0. UT led No. 3 Georgia at halftime in the third game of the season, but was unable to hang on for the victory in a defeat that marked the first of six straight losses for the Big Orange. Tennessee snapped its skid with a dominant 42-17 victory over in-state rival Vanderbilt on Dec. 12 in Nashville, but closed the year with a 34-13 loss to No. 5 Texas A&M to finish the season with a 3-7 record.
Senior offensive lineman Trey Smith wrapped up his memorable UT career with another solid season, earning first-team All-SEC honors for the second straight year while also garnering second-team All-America honors from the FWAA and AFCA. Smith was UT's first All-American since Derek Barnett earned second-team honors from the FWAA back in 2016. He was also the first Volunteer offensive lineman to be tabbed a first- or second-team All-American by any outlet since Anthony Parker in 2007 (Associated Press Second Team).
2019Â Season
Record:Â 8-5
SEC Finish:Â 5-3Â (3rd in East)
Postseason: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
Coach: Jeremy Pruitt (2nd season)
In the second season under head coach Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee staged an incredible midseason turnaround by winning its final six games and seven of its last eight following a 1-4 start to the year. The Vols capped their 2019 campaign with an improbable 23-22 comeback victory over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl on Jan. 2 to finish the year with an 8-5 overall record. UT went 5-3 in SEC play to finish third in the Eastern Division.
The Big Orange had five players named to the All-SEC postseason teams by the league’s coaches, which was the most since also having five in 2012. Junior offensive lineman Trey Smith led the way by earning first-team All-SEC honors by the Associated Press and the coaches. DB Nigel Warrior, LB Daniel Bituli, WR/RS Marquez Callaway and PK Brent Cimaglia were the other Vols to garner All-SEC accolades. UT also had three players named to the conference’s All-Freshman Team (LB Henry To’o To’o, OL Wanya Morris, OL Darnell Wright). Â
2018Â Season
Record:Â 5-7
SEC Finish:Â 2-6Â (7th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Jeremy Pruitt (1st season)
First-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt led the Volunteers to a pair of upset victories over ranked opponents with wins against No. 21 Auburn and No. 11 Kentucky. After the big win over the Wildcats at home, UT dropped its final two regular-season games to narrowly miss out on securing a bowl bid.Â
2017 Season
Record: 4-8
SEC Finish: 0-8 (7th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Butch Jones (5th season)
After opening the season with a 3-1 record and a thrilling 42-41 double-overtime win over Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Vols struggled over the final two months of Butch Jones' final season as head coach.
True freshman offensive lineman Trey Smith earned Coaches and AP All-SEC honors and was named to the FWAA Freshman All-America team.
2016 Season
Record: 9-4
SEC Finish: 4-4 (T-2nd in East)
Postseason: Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl
Coach: Butch Jones (4th season)
Tennessee capped a thrilling 2016 season, which featured comeback wins over Virginia Tech, Florida and Georgia, with a 38-24 victory over Nebraska in the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl to finish at 9-4. The win also marked UT's third-straight bowl victory, marking the first time since the 1994, 1995 and 1996 seasons that the Vols had won three-consecutive bowl games.
Joshua Dobbs wrapped his impressive career as UT's starting quarterback with an All-SEC season. Derek Barnett was named a Consensus All-American and totaled 13.0 sacks to become the Vols' new all-time sack king with a program-record 33.0 career sacks.
2015 Season
Record: 9-4
SEC Finish: 5-3 (2nd in East)
Postseason: Outback Bowl
Coach: Butch Jones (3rd season)
The Tennessee Vols captured their second consecutive January Bowl game with a 45-6 domination of Northwestern. The Vols finished the season winning six games in a row, the longest streak since 2003. Evan Berry and Cameron Sutton were named All-Americans, Tennessee's first First-Team All-Americans since Eric Berry in 2009.
2014 Season
Record: 7-6
SEC Finish: 3-5 (4th in East)
Postseason: TaxSlayer Bowl
Coach: Butch Jones (2nd season)
Butch Jones led Team 118 to the TaxSlayer Bowl championship as the Vols dominated Iowa, 45-28 on Jan. 2, 2015. With the win, Tennessee captured its first bowl victory since 2008 and secured a winning season (7-6) for the first time since 2009. Freshman Derek Barnett had a break-up season with freshman school records for sacks (10), tackles for loss (20.5).
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs finished the season as the starting signal caller winning four of the last five games.
2013 Season
Record: 5-7
SEC Finish: 2-6 (6th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Butch Jones (1st season)
The Butch Jones Era started on Rocky Top as the new leader of the Vols was hired on Dec. 7, 2012. Jones led Tennessee to its first win over a ranked team in four years when the Vols knocked off #11 South Carolina, 23-21 as Michael Palardy kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired on Oct. 19. The Vols played one of the toughest schedules in the nation, taking on seven ranked teams including five in row a way midway through the season.
Four Vols were named All-SEC, led by first-team linebacker A.J. Johnson.
2012 Season
Record: 5-7
SEC Finish: 1-7 (6th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Derek Dooley (3rd season)
Despite opening the season with a victory over NC State and cracking the Top 25 in September, the Vols tumbled in October and finished with just one SEC victory in Derek Dooley's final season as head coach.
Six players were named to an All-SEC team by league coaches.
2011 Season
Record: 5-7
SEC Finish: 1-7 (6th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Derek Dooley (2nd season)
Derek Dooley's second season at Rocky Top had a promising beginning, but injuries to a number of key contributors and the inconsistencies that come with a youthful roster proved too much to overcome.
The Vols, who played one of the toughest schedules in the country, finished the year with a 5-7 record and missed a bowl game for just the third time since 1988.
2010 Season
Record: 6-7
SEC Finish: 3-5 (4th in East)
Postseason: Music City Bowl
Coach: Derek Dooley (1st season)
Tennessee finished the regular season on a four-game winning streak in Derek Dooley's first season in Knoxville.
A overtime loss to North Carolina in the Music City Bowl kept the Vols from winning their fifth straight game, but a core of young players played a major role in UT's strong finish.
2009 Season
Record: 7-6
SEC Finish: 4-4 (2nd in East)
Postseason: Chick-Fil-A Bowl
Coach: Lane Kiffin (1st season)
The 2009 season began with fireworks in a 63-7 win against Western Kentucky at Neyland Stadium. The Vols finished the regular season strong winning five of their last eight games, including an overtime win against Kentucky.
The Vols lost to Virginia Tech, 37-14, in the Chick-fil-A Bowl and finished 7-6 in Lane Kiffin's only season as head coach.
2008 Season
Record: 5-7
SEC Finish: 3-5 (5th in East)
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Phillip Fulmer (16th season)
The Vols struggled in 2008, beginning with starting with a 27-24 overtime loss at UCLA in the season-opener. The Vols finished 5-7 in Phillip Fulmer's last of 16 seasons as Tennessee's head coach.
2007 Season
Record: 10-4
SEC Finish: 6-2 (1st in East)
Postseason: Outback Bowl
Coach: Phillip Fulmer (15th season)
Aa pair of overtime wins against South Carolina and Kentucky helped the Vols win the SEC East.
Despite a 21-14 loss to eventual national champion LSU in the SEC Championship game, Tennessee defeated Wisconsin, 21-17, in the Outback Bowl and finished the season ranked No. 12.
2006 Season
Record: 9-4
SEC Finish: 5-3
Postseason: Outback Bowl
Coach: Phillip Fulmer (14th season)
Tennessee won eight of its first nine games before finishing 9-4 overall.
The Vols tied for second in the SEC East and received a bid to play Penn State in the Outback Bowl.
2005 Season
Record: 5-6
SEC Finish: 3-5
Postseason: N/A
Coach: Phillip Fulmer (13th season)
The Vols suffered a down year, despite winning three of their first four games, including an overtime win in Baton Rouge versus LSU.
The Vols ended the season with a 5-6 record and didn't play in a bowl for the first time since 1988.
2004 Season
Record: 10-3
SEC Finish: 7-1 (1st in East)
Postseason: Cotton Bowl
Coach: Phillip Fulmer (12th season)
The Vols opened the season with three straight wins before suffering their first loss to Auburn in Knoxville. Tennessee would only lose once more in the regular season, before earning its way to a rematch with the Tigers in the SEC Championship.
The rematch ended with the same result as the first meeting. However, redemption was near as the Vols grabbed their 45th all time bowl bid to the Cotton Bowl defeating Texas A & M, 38-7. UT was ranked 13th in the final AP poll.
2003 Season
Record: 10-2
SEC Finish: 6-2 (Tied for 1st in East)
Postseason: Peach Bowl
Coach: Phillip Fulmer (11th season)
The Vols ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak, including a 51-43 five overtime win in Tuscaloosa over Alabama. A Peach Bowl loss to Clemson ended the Vols' run bringing their final record to 10-3.
Tennessee tied for first in the SEC East and was ranked 15th in the AP poll.
