The Southeastern Conference Media week has wrapped up from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga. and with that comes the 2025 predicted order of finish for Tennessee and the conference. The league’s media in attendance voted on the order of finish, as well as the preseason All-SEC squads.
Tennessee was picked to finish ninth out of 16 teams in the SEC by the league’s media. The Vols received one vote to win the conference.
Texas (96) was picked to win the conference, followed by Georgia (44) in second and Alabama (29) in third. LSU (20) was picked No. 4, South Carolina (5) No. 5, Florida (2) No. 6 and Ole Miss (1) No. 7. Texas A&M comes in just ahead of the Vols at No. 8 while Oklahoma (3) , Auburn (1) , Missouri, Vanderbilt (2), Arkansas, Kentucky and Mississippi State file in at No. 10-16.
🎙️ 2025 #SECFB preseason media poll, All-SEC team announced!@TexasFootball has been predicted to win the 2025 #SECChampionship, according to a preseason poll of media covering #SECMD25.
🔗 https://t.co/UtLY68t9HO#ItJustMeansMore pic.twitter.com/3M10CV2Q42
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) July 18, 2025
“Everybody inside of our program will tell you that the taste that was left in our mouth in December,” Heupel said on Tuesday at SEC Media Days, “(we) make sure everybody understands that’s not the goal. And we want to get in it, but you got to go win.”
Tennessee won 11 games in 2022 and finished the campaign with an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson. It won nine games in 2023 before going on the playoff run last fall, finishing with a 10-3 overall record. The Vols were preseason picked seventh in the league last summer ahead of the 2024 season and ended the year tied for second in the first season of the 16-team league. Tennessee has finished above where the media has preseason picked the team in three of four seasons under Josh Heupel.
Jermod McCoy led a trio of Tennessee Vols who were voted preseason All-SEC on Friday as well. McCoy was named to the first team while fellow defensive back Boo Carter and linebacker Arion Carter were named to the third team.
Tennessee opens training camp later this month, with the season opener against Syracuse on August 30 (Noon Eastern Time, ABC) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.