American college football season
The 2018 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Volunteers played their home games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.[2] They finished the season 5–7, 2–6 in SEC play to finish in last place in the Eastern Division.
Previous season
The team finished the season 4–8, 0–8 in SEC play in last place in the Eastern Division and the SEC. They were also the first Tennessee team in program history to lose eight games in a season, as well as the first to not win an SEC game since becoming a charter member of the conference in 1932.[3] They were led by fifth-year head coach Butch Jones until his firing on November 12.[4] Brady Hoke was named the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[5]
Preseason
2018 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
|
Name
|
Hometown
|
High school / college
|
Height
|
Weight
|
Commit date
|
Trevon Flowers S
|
Tucker, GA
|
Tucker
|
5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
|
185 lb (84 kg)
|
Feb 7, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76
|
J.J. Peterson OLB
|
Moultrie, GA
|
Colquitt County
|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
|
210 lb (95 kg)
|
Jan 6, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86
|
John Mincey DT
|
Homerville, GA
|
Clinch County
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
250 lb (110 kg)
|
Jan 19, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77
|
Cedric Tillman WR
|
Las Vegas, NV
|
Bishop Gorman
|
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
|
205 lb (93 kg)
|
Feb 7, 2018
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR
|
Dominick Wood-Anderson TE
|
San Diego, CA
|
Arizona Western (JC)
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
255 lb (116 kg)
|
Dec 20, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81
|
Jeremy Banks RB
|
Cordova, TN
|
Cordova
|
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
|
215 lb (98 kg)
|
Dec 20, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78
|
Jordan Allen DE
|
Fairfield, CA
|
City College SF (JC)
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
230 lb (100 kg)
|
Dec 20, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82
|
J. T. Shrout QB
|
Newhall, CA
|
Hart
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
190 lb (86 kg)
|
Dec 20, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79
|
Jerome Carvin OL
|
Cordova, TN
|
Cordova
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
305 lb (138 kg)
|
Dec 20, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79
|
Kingston Harris DT
|
Bradenton, FL
|
IMG Academy
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
260 lb (120 kg)
|
Dec 18, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76
|
Alontae Taylor ATH, WR
|
Manchester, TN
|
Coffee County Central
|
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
|
180 lb (82 kg)
|
Dec 22, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 86
|
Paxton Brooks K
|
West Columbia, SC
|
Airport
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
170 lb (77 kg)
|
Aug 17, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77
|
Tanner Antonutti OL
|
Nashville, TN
|
Ensworth
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
260 lb (120 kg)
|
Jul 30, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76
|
Greg Emerson DE
|
Jackson, TN
|
Northside
|
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
|
280 lb (130 kg)
|
Jul 3, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81
|
Jacob Warren TE
|
Knoxville, TN
|
Farragut
|
6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
|
210 lb (95 kg)
|
May 24, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77
|
Brant Lawless DT
|
Nashville, TN
|
Nashville Christian
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
300 lb (140 kg)
|
May 1, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83
|
Ollie Lane OL
|
Corryton, TN
|
Gibbs
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
270 lb (120 kg)
|
Apr 12, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77
|
Matthew Flint LB
|
Gurley, AL
|
Madison County
|
6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
|
205 lb (93 kg)
|
Aug 2, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78
|
Jahmir Johnson OT
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
Arizona Western (JC)
|
6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
|
290 lb (130 kg)
|
Dec 27, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79
|
D'Andre Litaker DT
|
Murfreesboro, TN
|
Riverdale
|
6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
|
285 lb (129 kg)
|
Jun 13, 2017
|
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80
|
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 22 Rivals: 20 247Sports: 20 ESPN: 25
|
- Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
- In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.
Sources:
|
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
SEC media poll
The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018 with the Volunteers predicted to finish in sixth place in the East Division.
Media poll (East)
|
Predicted finish
|
Team
|
Votes (1st place)
|
1 |
Georgia |
1,977 (271)
|
2 |
South Carolina |
1,535 (8)
|
3 |
Florida |
1,441 (2)
|
4 |
Missouri |
1,057
|
5 |
Kentucky |
874 (1)
|
6 |
Tennessee |
704 (1)
|
7 |
Vanderbilt |
392
|
Preseason All-SEC teams
The Volunteers had one player selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.
Schedule
Tennessee announced its 2018 football schedule on September 19, 2017. The 2018 schedule consisted of 7 home games,[10] 4 away, and 1 neutral site game in the regular season. The Volunteers hosted SEC foes Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, and Missouri, and traveled to
Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt.[11]
The Volunteers hosted three of its four non–conference games which were against ETSU from the Southern Conference, UTEP and Charlotte, both of whom competed in the Conference USA. They traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the Belk Kickoff against West Virginia from the Big 12 Conference.
Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|
September 1 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 17 West Virginia* | | CBS | L 14–40 | 66,793 |
September 8 | 4:00 p.m. | East Tennessee State* | | SECN | W 59–3 | 96,464 |
September 15 | 12:00 p.m. | UTEP* | - Neyland Stadium
- Knoxville, TN
| SECN | W 24–0 | 87,074 |
September 22 | 7:00 p.m. | Florida | - Neyland Stadium
- Knoxville, TN (rivalry)
| ESPN | L 21–47 | 100,027 |
September 29 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 2 Georgia | | CBS | L 12–38 | 92,246 |
October 13 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 21 Auburn | | SECN | W 30–24 | 84,589 |
October 20 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 1 Alabama | | CBS | L 21–58 | 97,087 |
October 27 | 7:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | | SECN | L 24–27 | 80,614 |
November 3 | 4:00 p.m. | Charlotte* | - Neyland Stadium
- Knoxville, TN
| SECN | W 14–3 | 86,753 |
November 10 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 12 Kentucky | - Neyland Stadium
- Knoxville, TN (rivalry)
| SECN | W 24–7 | 95,258 |
November 17 | 3:30 p.m. | Missouri | - Neyland Stadium
- Knoxville, TN
| CBS | L 17–50 | 88,224 |
November 24 | 4:00 p.m. | at Vanderbilt | | SECN | L 13–38 | 35,887 |
- *Non-conference game
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
- All times are in Eastern time
|
- Schedule Source:[12]