The long awaited release of EA Sports College Football 25 has arrived.
Almost Tennessee football’s entire roster is featured in the game, which fully releases on July 19.
With the release of the game, The Daily Beacon simulated the Vols’ 2025 season. Here were the results, according the the game, simulated on the PlayStation 5.
Vs. Chattanooga: 24-10 loss
Chattanooga, in the game as “FCS Southeast,” defeats Tennessee 24-10 to open the season. Nico Iamaleava throws for 174 yards and two picks while running for 77 yards.
Vols get their season off to a bad start in the College Football 25 simulation.
Vs. NC State (in Charlotte): 35-21 win
Don’t worry, the Vols bounce back in week two with a big win over the Wolfpack. Iamaleava throws for 273 yards with three touchdowns. Dont’e Thornton Jr. leads the receiver group with 104 yards while Bru McCoy picked up 97 yards.
Vs. Kent State: 42-27 win
Tennessee keeps its momentum rolling with a resounding win over Kent State at home. Iamaleava throws for 254 yards and four touchdowns while Dylan Sampson runs for 103 yards and a touchdown.
Thornton goes for 76 yards, McCoy picks up 69 and tight end Holden Staes grabbed two touchdowns with 63 yards.
@ Oklahoma: 35-28 win
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel goes into his alma mater and picks up a big road SEC victory according to the simulation. Iamaleava throws for 375 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win. Squirrel White leads the receiving corp with 139 yards.
Rickey Gibson III leads the defense in the win.
@ Arkansas: 45-21 win
Tennessee picks up back-to-back road SEC victories in the simulation. Iamaleava has a massive game, tossing five touchdowns and going for 288 yards.
Sampson goes for 118 yards on the ground and Thronton picks up 131 yards through the air. Boo Carter led the defensive efforts with seven tackles.
Vs. Florida: 21-20 loss
Tennessee is greeted with a loss to Florida when it finally returns to Neyland Stadium. Iamaleava runs into trouble, throwing two interceptions to go with two touchdowns and 279 yards. The run game struggles and White leads the receiving corp with 88 yards.
Vs. Alabama: 38-30 win
Tennessee greets the Crimson Tide and first-year coach Kalen DeBoer with a loss in the simulation. Tennessee’s offense goes for 390 yards in the win while Iamaleava tosses three touchdowns.
On the other side, Jalen Milroe throws for 247 yards and two touchdowns.
Vs. Kentucky: 45-20 loss
Fresh off a win against Alabama, Tennessee suffers a commanding loss at the hands of the Wildcats.
Iamaleava throws for 203 yards and two touchdowns in the loss while the rush attack struggles.
Kentucky finishes the season 12-3 in the simulation, which would defy all predictions outside of the video game.
Vs. Mississippi State: 21-18 win
Tennessee picks up a gritty win over the Bulldogs led by the defense. Tennessee picks up 342 total yards of offense while Arion Carter and Gibson lead the defense with seven tackles a piece.
@ Georgia: 35-21 Win
Tennessee heads into Athens and gets a victory over the Bulldogs. Georgia finishes the season No. 24 in the poll.
Iamaleava throws for 284 yards and three touchdowns in the simulation.
Vs. UTEP: 35-3 win
Unlike the opener, this buy game ends with victory for the Vols
@ Vanderbilt: 34-28 win
An uncomfortably close game in Nashville ends with a victory for Tennessee. Iamaleava goes off 368 yards and three touchdowns against the Commodores.
Season result
Tennessee sneaks into the College Football Playoff as the No. 9 seed, facing Ohio State in the opener. The Vols fall, 38-32, to end the season. Kentucky gets second in the SEC in the simulation and Texas A&M takes home the SEC.
Southern California goes on to defeat Miami, 52-37, to win the College Football Championship.
Postseason awards
James Pearce Jr. finished No. 11 for best defensive player in the simulation as well as No. 9 for the Lombardi Award and No. 3 for best defensive end. Staes finished No. 11 for best tight end of the year. Cooper Mays finished No. 8 for best center and Dylan Sampson finished No. 12 for best returner.
Iamaleava finished the year with 3,560 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to 13 interceptions but does not finish in the top players for any awards.
