With the first season of the 16-team, division-free SEC format officially in the rear-view mirror, we now have a better idea of just how hectic the conference football slate will be moving forward.
One thing that might not be fully sunk in with fans about the 2025 conference schedule is that it’s just going to be a flip of the previous 2024 season. Not in terms of opponents but certainly in terms of location.
While Tennessee hosted Florida, Alabama, and Kentucky in Neyland Stadium last fall, the Vols will be on the road in Gainesville, Tuscaloosa, and Lexington in 2025. Same thing for the other SEC opponents that Tennessee faced including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt.
The teams will look familiar from last season but some of the quarterbacks may not.
For instance, Georgia’s Carson Beck is now at Miami and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe is heading to the professional level. Others, such as Arkansas’s Taylen Green, are set to return in 2025.
Multiple contributors from ESPN went through every Power 4 team and charted out the most likely starting quarterback during the 2025 season. In the sections below, we’ll point out which of Tennessee’s opponents will have a new signal-caller heading into the 2025 season and which will be returning someone that the Vols faced last fall.
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Tennessee 2025 SEC Opponents
Sept. 13 – vs Georgia
Sept. 27 – at Mississippi State
Oct. 11 – vs Arkansas
Oct. 18 – at Alabama
Oct. 25 – at Kentucky
Nov. 1 – vs Oklahoma
Nov. 22 – at Florida
No. 29 – vs Vanderbilt
Quarterback Situation (via ESPN)
Georgia
Georgia started Carson Beck at quarterback over the last two seasons but his senior campaign in Athens ended short after he suffered an elbow injury in the SEC Championship game against Texas. With Beck sidelined for the 2024-2025 playoffs, head coach Kirby Smart turned to redshirt sophomore quarterback Gunner Stockton against Notre Dame.
Beck declared for the NFL Draft but eventually hit the transfer portal and landed at Miami for the 2025 season. Stockton looks poised to lead the Bulldogs in 2025 but there’s always an option to bring in a veteran quarterback for competition.
Gunner Stockton 2024 Stats: Four games – 440 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 57.0 QBR
Mississippi State
Tennessee faced Michael Van Buren Jr. this past season when the Vols hosted the Bulldogs, but Van Buren moved to LSU in the offseason through the portal. Mississippi State looks likely to turn back to the original starter for the 2024 season, Blake Shapen, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in just his fourth game.
ESPN’s writers state that while Shapen is the projected starter next season, Mississippi State does have “good competition between Florida State freshman transfer Luke Kromenhoek and incoming signee KaMario Taylor, two former ESPN 300 recruits around whom Lebby can build.”
Blake Shapen 2024 stats: Four games – 974 yards, 8 TDs, 1 INT, 51.5 QBR
Arkansas
Hello, old friend. Despite a mass departure from Sam Pittman’s Arkansas program this past offseason through the transfer portal, the Razorbacks managed to hang on to quarterback Taylen Green for the 2025 season. Green and the Razorbacks handed Tennessee its first loss of the season last October in Fayetteville and presents a bit of a reckless but very talented skillset on the field with his dual-threat ability.
Green threw for 266 yards on 70.4% passing in a 19-14 win over Tennessee last season.
One other note – Nico Iamaleava’s younger brother, Madden Iamaleava, will be a true freshman quarterback at Arkansas in 2025.
Taylen Green 2024 stats: 13 games – 3,154 yards, 15 TDs, 9 INTs, 70.5 QBR
Alabama
Those who follow Tennessee recruiting pretty closely should be familiar with Alabama’s starter quarterback next season. ESPN’s writers project that Ty Simpson, a former Tennessee recruiting target, will take over Jalen Milroe’s spot leading the offense as a redshirt junior in the program.
“Simpson has appeared in parts of 16 college games, with his most significant college action coming when he replaced Milroe and led the Crimson Tide to 17 unanswered points in a September 2023 win at USF,” ESPN writes.
Alabama has struggled to hold onto their top-tier quarterback signees over the last few seasons which should put Simpson in the driver’s seat as the Crimson Tide prepare for spring ball.
Ty Simpson 2024 stats: Six games – 167 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 73.0 QBR
Kentucky
The Wildcats are yet another familiar opponent that will have a new quarterback set up opposite of the Tennessee defense next season. After Brock Vandagriff retired from football before New Year’s Day, it’s plausible that Kentucky will turn to incoming transfer Zach Calzada from Incarnate Word to lead the offense.
Calzada is making his return to the SEC, too. The former Texas A&M starter and Auburn backup threw for 53 touchdowns over the past two seasons with Incarnate Word and feels ready to return to the Southeastern Conference under Mark Stoops’ watch.
There could be another name to look out for, though.
“Calzada’s experience will be hard to beat, but Cutter Boley will challenge him for the job,” ESPN writes. “The former four-star recruit played significant snaps in three games as a true freshman and earned his first start in the Wildcats’ 41-14 loss to rival Louisville.”
Zach Calzada 2024 stats (Incarnate Word): 12 games – 3,744 yards, 35 TDs, 9 INTs
Oklahoma
One could make the case that Jackson Arnold’s path to the transfer portal began with his benching against Tennessee in late September. With Arnold now at Auburn, the Sooners will have to decide on a new quarterback for the 2025 season.
The first (and most likely, according to ESPN) option is incoming Washington State transfer John Mateer. The transfer quarterback put together a very nice season with Washington State last year and ended the season as a Manning Award finalist. Adding to his case, Oklahoma also brought in Washington State’s offensive coordinator as a combo package with Mateer.
Oklahoma could also turn to Michael Hawkins Jr., who replaced Arnold after the benching against Tennessee last season in Norman.
John Mateer 2024 stats (Wash. State): 12 games – 3,139 yards, 29 TDs, 7 INTs, 70.9 QBR
Florida
Hello, old friend. Florida could have a monster season at quarterback next year with the return of deep-threat phenom DJ Lagway. Florida played a two-quarterback system at the beginning of the 2024 season until Graham Mertz suffered a season-ending injury against Tennessee. That opened the door for Lagway’s snap count to skyrocket as he gets ready to take over as the true starter in 2025.
“The 6-3, 239-pound Lagway displayed big-play passing ability, averaging 16.7 yards per completion, and improved his accuracy in wins against Ole Miss, Florida State and Tulane to close the season,” ESPN writes.
DJ Lagway 2024 stats: 12 games – 1.915 yards, 12 TDs, 9 INTs, 57.8 QBR
Vanderbilt
Hello, old friend. After a battle with the NCAA this offseason, returning starter Diego Pavia is headed back to the Vanderbilt football program.
While he didn’t get the best of Tennessee to close down the regular season last year, Pavia still led Vandy to a few notable wins including Alabama and led the ‘Dores to their first bowl in more than a decade. Pavia’s scrappy, gritty play at the quarterback position could be more refined in 2025 with another year at the helm.
Pavia threw for just 104 yards on eight completions against Tennessee on a chilly day in Nashville last November.
Diego Pavia 2024 stats: 13 games – 2,293 yards, 20 TDs, 4 INTs, 74.5 QBR
BONUS: Tennessee
Hello, old friend.
To throw in a quick bonus, ESPN’s writers obviously project Nico Iamaleava to continue as the starter in Josh Heupel’s offense in 2025. Iamaleava did a great job with ball protection last season but struggled to stay upright thanks to his offensive line. If Tennessee can improve in the trenches this offseason with a better receiving core, Iamaleava could be in store for a special season.
ESPN also doesn’t see a lot of competition out of the Vols’ youthful quarterback room.
“The Vols’ quarterback depth got young in a hurry with upperclassman Gaston Moore’s decision to enter the transfer portal,” ESPN wrote. “His exit leaves sophomore Jake Merklinger (two games in 2025) and 2025 signee George MacIntyre (No. 103 in 2025 ESPN 300) as the primary competitors to claim the backup job behind Iamaleava.”
Nico Iamaleava 2024 stats: 13 games – 2,616 yards, 19 TDs, 5 INTs, 70.6 QBR
