Tennessee got its first fall camp scrimmage in the books Saturday morning, and that gave a clearer picture of where the roster stands heading toward the 2026 season opener against Furman.
There are still a few weeks left before the Vols line up for game one, but the biggest questions are already taking shape - especially at quarterback. Here’s how the starting spots look after that first scrimmage.
On offense, Faizon Brandon remains the pick to open the year at quarterback. George MacIntyre has reportedly been right there with him through camp, but Brandon’s ceiling keeps him in front, and his showing in the scrimmage only helped his case.
At running back, DeSean Bishop is the clear lead option. Javin Gordon and Daune Morris are battling for carries behind him, with Justin Baker also capable of carving out a role.
At receiver, two spots look settled. Braylon Staley is set to work from the slot, while Mike Matthews appears locked in on the outside at the Z.
The final spot is still wide open, but Travis Smith Jr. gets the nod here after a strong camp and what looks like real sophomore growth. TK Keys may be the one to watch as the year goes on, and Radarious Jackson is also in the mix, but Smith is the likely Week 1 starter.
Tight end belongs to Ethan Davis if he’s healthy. DaSaahn Brame has established himself as the No. 2 option, and Luca Wolf has impressed enough in camp to earn meaningful playing time, especially because of his size and ability to help as a blocker right away.
The offensive line feels mostly settled, too: David Sanders Jr. at left tackle, Wendell Moe Jr. at left guard, Sam Pendleton at center, Jesse Perry at right guard and Ory Williams at right tackle. Sanders, Moe and Pendleton were already easy to pencil in, and the confidence has grown that Williams can handle the edge on the right side while Perry secures the other guard spot. Sham Umarov remains the next interior option, and Perry can slide outside if needed.
Defensively, Tyree Weathersby is expected to start at one end, with Jordan Norman taking the LEO spot. Inside, the prediction is Daevin Hobbs and Xavier Gilliam, though Nathan Robinson should get plenty of chances as well. Weathersby is being asked to take a major step, and Mariyon Dye could work his way into more snaps during the season.
At linebacker, Edwin Spillman and Amare Campbell are the projected starters with Arion Carter suspended for game one. Once Carter returns, the alignment could change, and there’s even a possibility Tennessee leans into a 3-3-5 look that puts Spillman, Campbell and Carter on the field together while an edge rusher comes off.
The secondary has become much clearer because of injuries. Ty Redmond and Kayin Lee are the cornerbacks, Qua Moss is at STAR, and TJ Metcalf and Dejuan Lane are the safeties.
That group includes four transfers and one returner. Edrees Farooq had been on track to start before his injury, and he was ahead of Lane at that point.
Special teams are straightforward. Cooper Ranvier is the new place kicker after coming over from Louisville.
Jackson Ross should continue as punter and holder after settling in following a rocky start in 2023. Josh Turbyville remains the kickoff specialist thanks to one of the strongest legs in the SEC.
Bennett Brady is the longsnapper, and he’ll keep handling the dirty work cleanly while also getting downfield to help finish plays.
The return jobs are less certain, but Tyreek King is the early guess at punt returner. That keeps Braylon Staley and Daune Morris out of harm’s way given their offensive workloads, with Ian Duarte as the next option if Tennessee goes another direction. On kickoffs, Joakim Dodson gets the nod, with the Music City Bowl return against Illinois still making a strong case for him.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Took An Early Hit In Its Receiver Rotation
Tennessees receiver depth took an early blow in the season opener when Joakim Dodson went down with a leg injury against Furman. Josh Heupel later confirmed the injury was season-ending, and Dodson was seen on crutches after getting hurt on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
For a Tennessee offense that leans on its wideouts to keep the tempo and spacing intact, the timing is less than ideal. The immediate ripple effect points to freshman Tyreek King moving into the backup slot role, a quick promotion that puts more responsibility on a young player before the Volunteers have even settled into September. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Opener Told One Story But The Film May Say Another
Tennessees 56-9 win over Furman looked like the kind of season opener that can smooth over a lot of early questions, but the game film offered a more layered picture. Pro Football Focus went back through the matchup and graded Volunteers players on a 1-to-100 scale, giving the staff and fans a different lens than the scoreboard alone.
Those grades are built to strip away some of the emotion that comes with a comfortable win, and they can sometimes diverge from what coaches see on the sideline or in the meeting room. For Tennessee, that makes the opener less of a finished product and more of a first checkpoint, with the real value coming in how the performance is judged once the film slows everything down. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse Perry Just Gave Tennessee An Encouraging Offensive Line Sign
Jesse Perry gave Tennessee a useful glimpse of what the offensive line can look like when it is holding up its end of the bargain. On a recent 55-yard touchdown pass, the right tackle was a key part of the play, coming through with the kind of block that helps turn a routine snap into a chunk gain. It was the sort of snap linemen usually only get noticed for when something goes wrong, but this one stood out for all the right reasons.
SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic singled out Perrys blocking in a Twitter recap, and Pro Football Focus graded him as Tennessees highest-rated offensive lineman from the game. For a unit that is always under the microscope in the SEC, that kind of recognition matters, especially when it comes on a play that helped the offense hit big. The question now is whether Perry can keep that level of play going as the Volunteers keep sorting out their front. [Read more 🡒]