Tennessee football ranks No. 12 nationally in the Preseason AP Poll released Monday. The Vols come in just outside the top 10 in the poll after coming in at No. 10 in last week’s Preseason Coaches Poll.
The Vols are the fourth highest ranked SEC team in the preseason media poll, coming in behind No. 1 Georgia, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 LSU. Tennessee faces Georgia on Nov. 18 in Knoxville and travels to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama on Oct. 21.
Tennessee doesn’t face LSU in the regular season after knocking off the Tigers 40-13 in Baton Rouge a season ago.
The Vols are one of six SEC teams in the preseason top 25, coming in behind Georgia, Alabama and LSU and ahead of Ole Miss (No. 22) and Texas A&M (No. 23).
Tennessee opponents South Carolina (No. 27), UTSA (No. 29), Kentucky (No. 33) and Florida (No. 39) also received votes in the preseason poll.
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Tennessee finished the 2022 season ranked sixth in the AP Poll after peaking at No. 2 in the media poll the first week of November after improving to 8-0 with a blowout victory over Kentucky.
Josh Heupel enters his third season at Tennessee with raised expectations after the program’s resurgent 2022 season. The Vols were mainstays in the AP Poll last season, earning ranked victories over Pittsburgh, Florida, LSU, Alabama, Kentucky and Clemson.
Despite high expectations and a number of top players returning, the Vols face serious challenges this coming season. Joe Milton III replaces Hendon Hooker as Tennessee’s starting quarterback after Hooker performed at an elite level over the course of the 2022 season.
Tennessee also is replacing two key starting offensive linemen: veteran guard Jerome Carvin and All-SEC right tackle Darnell Wright. The Vols also have to replace their top pass rusher Byron Young from the 2022 team.
The Vols open their 2023 season on Sept. 2 when they face Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
