Tennessee indeed will have its most talented team of the Josh Heupel Era in 2025 – at least according to the 247Sports Team Talent Composite. In its 11th season of existence, the Team Talent Composite measures the amount of talent on every team’s roster using their rankings as high school recruits, providing an imperfect baseline measure for a program’s talent level relative to conference rivals and other opponents. In the 2025 edition revealed on Tuesday, Tennessee moved up one spot to No. 16 nationally, but still remained behind eight other SEC teams.

The overall score for the Vols (866.57) increased slightly from 2024. Tennessee’s score spiked from 821.07 points in 2023 to 858.67 points in 2024, and another increase highlights the way fifth-year head coach Heupel, his coaching staff and Tennessee’s personnel and recruiting departments have continued to inject talent into the program. The Vols are above the 50% threshold for the Blue-Chip Ratio that is virtually required to win a national championship.

Per the Team Talent Composite, Tennessee’s 2025 roster includes four former five-star prospects, 43 former four-stars and 29 former three-stars. Compared to last season, the Vols increased their blue-chip total from 41 to 47 and their blue-chip ratio from 50% to 62%. The Vols have an average player rating of 90.39, which is 13th-best nationally and seventh-best in the SEC.

Tennessee lost two former five-star recruits this offseason after quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the Vols parted ways in the spring and wide receiver Bru McCoy exhausted his eligibility, and the quartet of remaining five-stars are offensive tackles Lance Heard and David Sanders Jr., wide receiver Mike Matthews and LEO Jordan Ross. Heard (left tackle), a second-year transfer from LSU, and freshman Sanders (right tackle), the No. 11 overall player in the 2025 cycle, will be starters for a new-look offensive line. Matthews is slated to step into a feature role as a starter, and Ross is expected to step up and help the Vols replace first-round NFL Draft pick James Pearce Jr.

While winning 37 games over the past four seasons, Heupel and his staff have raised Tennessee’s Team Talent Composite score every year. The Vols were 19th with 780.20 points in 2021, Heupel’s 7-6 debut season. The 11-win 2022 team also was No. 19 with a score of 766.29 points.

The Vols signed a top-10 2023 class, followed it up with a top-15 2024 class and brought in a No. 11-ranked 2025 class, and the program also has added 10 four-star transfers – though their high school ratings are included – from the portal over the past four cycles.

The big-picture importance of the 247Sports Team Talent Composite is every national champion except one since 2015 has been ranked in the top 10. Michigan in 2023 was the outlier, but of course the Wolverines’ title came amid cheating accusations with the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal. 2024 national champion Ohio State was No. 3 in the 2024 Team Talent Composite, and the 140-point talent gap between the Buckeyes and Vols was evident in a 42-17 domination of Tennessee in the College Football Playoff first-round matchup.

In the first season of the 12-team Playoff, the CFP teams from Power 4 conference were ranked No. 2 (Georgia), No. 3 (Ohio State), No. 4 (Texas), No. 5 (Clemson), No. 6 (Oregon), No. 9 (Notre Dame), No. 11 (Penn State), No. 17 (Tennessee), No. 25 (SMU), No. 30 (Arizona State) and No. 57 (Indiana).

In the 2025 Team Talent Composite, there is a big gap behind Tennessee to No. 18 USC (847.33) and even more space to No. 19 South Carolina (833.26). The same 33-point range used the other way includes four teams ahead of Tennessee: No. 12 Auburn (891.50), No. 13 Florida (889.16), No. 14 Oklahoma (872.47) and No. 15 Miami (868.26). The Vols are a ways away from Michigan at No. 10 (907.22), and five of the top eight teams this season are from the SEC.

The SEC schedule for the Vols this season includes No. 1 (Alabama), No. 2 (Georgia), No. 13 (Florida), No. 14 (Oklahoma), No. 23 (Arkansas), No. 24 (Mississippi State), No. 27 (Kentucky), and No. 55 (Vanderbilt). Season-opening opponent Syracuse is No. 34. The Vols and Orange face off in Atlanta.

Here is where every SEC program ranked in the updated 247Sports Team Talent Composite for the 2025 season:

1. Alabama: 992.22 points (14 five-stars, 49 four-stars)
2. Georgia: 992.00 points (12 five-stars, 55 four-stars)
4. Texas: 973.54 points (14 five-stars, 44 four-stars)
6. LSU: 920.05 points (four five-stars, 58 four-stars)
8. Texas A&M: 913.38 points (five five-stars, 56 four-stars)
12. Auburn: 891.50 points (three five-stars, 43 four-stars)
13. Florida: 889.16 points (three five-stars, 47 four-stars)
14. Oklahoma: 872.47 points (five five-stars, 44 four-stars)
16. Tennessee: 866.57 points (four five-stars, 43 four-stars)
18. South Carolina: 833.26 points (four five-stars, 35 four-stars)
21. Ole Miss: 831.11 points (three five-stars, 33 four-stars)
22. Missouri: 804.77 points (one five-star, 33 four-stars)
23. Arkansas: 772.64 points (two five-stars, 24 four-stars)
24. Mississippi State: 770.03 points (zero five-stars, 24 four-stars)
27. Kentucky: 763.18 points (zero five-stars, 27 four-stars)
55. Vanderbilt: 685.42 points (zero five-stars, 12 four-stars)