Urban Meyer tabs Tennessee as his national championship dark horse in 2025

During a recent lookahead discussion about the 2025 college football season, Urban Meyer was asked for his top “dark horse” candidate to potentially win College Football Playoff National Championship. But rather than pick a team, the former Florida and Ohio State head coach’s mind first went to the quarterback he expected could lead that “dark horse” charge.

“Nico (Iamaleava), the quarterback at Tennessee,” Meyer said on Wednesday’s episode of The Triple Option podcast with Rob Stone and Mark Ingram. “I remember when I first started studying them last year and I called Brady Quinn and Matt Leinart and said, ‘What am I missing here? This guy looks like a bonafide … he looks like Aaron Rodgers.’ The ball comes out of his hand like a tennis ball.”

Despite inconsistent play during his first full season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback, Nico Iamaleava still lived up to his five-star hype by leading the Volunteers to a 10-3 record and the program’s first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. Iamaleava finished last season with for 2,616 yards on 63.8-percent passing and 19 touchdowns to just five interceptions.

“He got really inconsistent and that team around him got a little inconsistent, and they still had a heck of a year,” Meyer continued about Iamaleava. “If that kid grows as a quarterback … I asked the question after watching, and I know he wasn’t playing great teams, but just his physical ability, his size, speed, athleticism, (the way) the ball comes out, I saw him as a high first-round draft pick. Now, it remains to be seen, but I’ll pick Tennessee.”

Urban Meyer picks his top three national champion favorites for 2025 season

Opinions were mixed on the panel for national champion picks. Host Mark Ingram, the former Alabama running back and Heisman Trophy winner, picked Texas to reach the pinnacle.

“Right now the favorite, +550, I have to go with the Longhorns, man,” Ingram said. “You’ve got Arch Manning coming. You’ve got [Steve Sarkisian]. What he’s been able to do with that program since he’s taken over. Arch coming in, it’s Arch season now. They got good players coming back. They have one of the best defenses in the country. I think they have good culture. They’ve got the NIL money to go ahead, get whoever they want out of the spring portal, out of the fall portal, retain players.

“So as of now with the top-five favorites I’m going to go +550 with Texas.”

Meyer would end up agreeing with that as one of his picks for the next national champion, though he would also provide two others. His first selection will likely be a popular pick.

“I’ve got to go with returning quarterbacks, which there’s none there other than Drew Allar,” Meyer said, ostensibly picking Penn State.

The other three schools Meyer picked are probably even less of a surprise. No one would be all that shocked if one turned out to be national champion.

“I’m going to go with Texas, two,” Meyer said. “Ohio State, obviously they’re loaded and they recruit their tails off. Julian Sayin, I keep hearing great things. I stood next to him, he’s very slight. But he’s got a great arm, great release, ball gets out fast. Keep hearing great things about him.

“Yeah I’m going to go, if you’re saying I have to, I’m going to say Texas, Ohio State, Oregon, in that order.”

Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this report.