Tennessee heads into its second game of the season with a road trip to Georgia Tech, and a few Volunteers are carrying a little more weight than the rest.
The opener against Furman gave Tennessee a chance to shake off the first-game rust, and while plenty of players turned in solid work, there were still a few spots that left room for more. If the Vols want to leave this one with the kind of performance they’re looking for, three names stand out.
Ory Williams is one of them. The transfer portal addition came in with plenty of hope attached, with many fans expecting him to help fill the void left by Lance Heard.
That didn’t really show up against Furman. Williams’ outing wasn’t strong, and this matchup gives him a chance to clean that up by giving Faizon Brandon better protection.
It’s also a chance to keep pushing in the battle for the starting job.
Braylon Staley is another player Tennessee needs to see more from. The slot game never really got rolling in the opener, and Staley was part of that issue.
He finished with just two catches for eight yards, which falls well short of what Tennessee believes he can deliver. Staley is one of the team’s best route runners and, alongside Mike Matthews, is viewed as one of the most promising receivers on the roster.
This is the kind of game where he can show that.
Then there’s Arion Carter, who is set to make his season debut against Georgia Tech. Tennessee gets back one of its biggest stars, and this is a game where Carter is expected to make an immediate impact.
He’ll line up as both a linebacker and an EDGE, which adds another layer of intrigue after watching Jeremiah Telander work off the edge in the last game. Carter’s return brings plenty of attention, and Tennessee will be looking for him to set the tone right away.
In Other News...
Former Lady Vol Avery Strickland Hurst Just Reopened Her Career Path
Avery Strickland Hurst is settling into another new stop in a college career that has already taken her through Tennessee, Belmont and Pitt. The former Lady Vols guard has transferred to the University of Missouri-Kansas City after re-entering the transfer portal, keeping her in the game while adding another chapter to a path that has already moved through several programs.
The move also brings a personal wrinkle, because she will now be playing in the same city as her husband, Grant Hurst, who is an assistant coach for the Kansas City Monarchs. For a player who has had to keep adjusting to new surroundings, this gives her next stop a different kind of significance as she joins a program in a familiar city. [Read more 🡒]
Dolly Partons Own High School Found A Powerful Way To Honor Her
Sevier County High School is finding a fitting way to carry Dolly Partons legacy onto the field this fall. The school announced that its football players will wear a commemorative helmet sticker for the rest of the 2026 season, a tribute to the East Tennessee icon who graduated from Sevier County in 1964 and remained one of the areas most recognizable figures.
The decal blends Partons signature with a butterfly and a guitar, and it will be placed on the back of the teams helmets as the season continues. Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80, and the gesture gives Sevier County a public way to honor one of its most famous alumni while tying her memory to the program she helped put on the map in her hometown. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Entered A Recruiting Battle Fans Need To Watch
Joseph Jet Gibbs has suddenly become one of the more interesting wide receiver names on Tennessees recruiting board. The four-star from Haw River, North Carolina, has been verbally committed to South Carolina since July, but that has not stopped a wave of heavyweight programs from pushing for him, with Tennessee among the schools that have recently jumped in with an offer.
The race around Gibbs is a good reminder that early commitments can get complicated fast when the nations biggest programs start applying pressure. Tennessee now finds itself in a battle that also includes Notre Dame, Auburn, Ohio State and Alabama, and the Volunteers will have to make a strong impression if they want any real shot at pulling the No. 302 overall prospect in the 2028 class away from his current pledge. [Read more 🡒]