The 2018 S&P+ rankings weren’t kind to the Tennessee Volunteers, understandably so. The Vols finished the season 48th overall with a 5-7 record.
The first look at 2019 paints a much more optimistic picture. In fact, Tennessee cracked the top 25, checking in at 21st overall. Tennessee’s recruiting impact of 17th helps, but the Vols’ returning production helps even more. The Vols only really lost contributors on the defensive line, along with a couple of replaceable pieces on the offensive line.
For reference, last year’s version of these projections had the Vols at 79th — which turned out to be pretty accurate.