Tennessee is getting ready for its biggest stage yet this season, and Braylon Staley isn’t treating the moment like anything out of the ordinary.
The Vols are set to face top-ranked Texas on Saturday, with the Longhorns making their first trip to Neyland Stadium. Staley met with the media to talk through the season, the matchup, and the mindset Tennessee is carrying into the week.
For Staley, the challenge starts with Texas’ secondary. “Um, they got a really good back end.
Um, you know some special players in the back end. So you know we got to just you know hone in to what we got to do details you know come out ready to play."”
He made it clear Tennessee isn’t backing away from the competition. “We love it.
We love the competition um because we are a competitive group. I feel like we're the best uh receiver group in the country.
So uh that's what we do.”
As for the approach against Texas, Staley said the Vols aren’t planning to reinvent anything. “Doesn't look different at all.
Um, same, you know, stuff that we've been doing for the past three games is the thing we're going to do for this game. So, nothing different.”
One area Tennessee wants to keep sharpening is its work on the edge. Staley pointed to the details of blocking as a key emphasis.
“Um, blocking really well on the outside. Um, main word for coach Pope is just to finish uh finish our blocks.
Um, you know, sometimes we get uh caught up in like play too long and you know, letting go of our block, but just being able to finish our block on the outside going to be really big for this week.”
He also stressed the importance of bouncing back quickly when a play doesn’t go the right way. “Uh just keep your head up.
Um you know a next play coming um and then when they coming your way just go execute. That's it.”
Staley hasn’t spent much time digging into Texas’ offensive tendencies, but he expects the look to stay familiar. “Uh, I haven't dived too much into it.
Um, you know, this week it probably looks similar. Um, but you know, we ready for it, ready for whatever come our way.”
On the other side of the ball, Staley had praise for Texas quarterback Arch Manning. “Uh, just mature quarterback, you know, you know, ready to compete, ready to go out and show what he can do on Saturday and, you know, that's what you do.”
He framed the game as exactly the kind of opportunity Tennessee players come to Knoxville for. “uh just another football game. Uh this why he came to Tennessee is just to play, you know, teams like this. Uh and we play the best of the best.”
Staley also talked about how his teammates are performing, including one receiver who has been making his presence felt in multiple ways. “Uh he's been, man, really good on the outside.
Uh been really good in the blocking game and you know, when the deep balls coming his way, he making plays. Um you know what I'm saying?
He just doing his thing.”
When asked about what stands out most, Staley pointed to speed. “I think just his speed.
U people kind of look at man as a big receiver right there is actually fast. Uh so I think people get caught off by his speed.
Um you know him being able to run my guy.”
After games, Staley said he does think back on a few moments, even if he’s not dwelling on them in the middle of the action. “It come to me after the game. I don't really think about it during the game but after the game I think about it a lot.”
He also described a recent touchdown as the product of preparation and execution. “um learning the uh looks that we got uh same thing we practiced in practice that week um and it was very easy to execute just came off my route wide open you know routine play.”
With No. 1 Texas coming in, Staley said the spotlight doesn’t change Tennessee’s mindset. “uh just to show people that you know this is what we get to do uh number one team coming in.
Uh it's a lot of talk already, but you know, we don't pay attention to it. Uh you know, we got to come in with our head down and ready to work.”
And when it comes to personal numbers, he’s not chasing anything individual. “Uh yeah, it was um you know, I ain't really concerned about the targets or whatnot, but um whatever I can do for my team and help win, so that's what I'll do.”
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Have A New Checker Neyland Twist For Texas
Checker Neyland is back in a big way this Saturday when Tennessee hosts Texas, and this time the Vols are putting a fresh spin on the familiar orange-and-white pattern. Fans have a new way to make sure they land in the right color block for Neyland Stadium, with seat information available online so everyone can check whether they are supposed to wear orange or white before heading through the gates.
The concept has become one of Tennessees most recognizable gameday traditions, and it has taken on extra weight in the Josh Heupel era as the Vols have continued to lean into the atmosphere it creates. With Texas coming to town, the visual inside the stadium should be as much a part of the night as the football itself, and Tennessee supporters will be watching closely to see how the latest Checker Neyland setup looks once the crowd fills in. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Lost A Trusted Piece At The Worst Possible Time
Tennessees tight end room took a major hit at exactly the wrong time, with Ethan Davis set to miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering an ACL injury. It is a frustrating loss for a player the Vols have leaned on, but there is at least one bit of good news for Tennessee moving forward: Davis has already said he plans to return for a fifth season in Knoxville.
Now the attention shifts to how the Vols absorb that blow in the short term, starting with their upcoming game against Texas. Tight ends coach Alec Abeln said he believes the rest of the group is ready to handle the extra load, and Tennessee will need that confidence to show up quickly with a trusted option suddenly out of the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Freshman QB Faces His First Real SEC Measuring Stick
Through three games, Faizon Brandon has given Tennessee plenty to feel good about in the opening stretch of the 2026 season. The freshman has looked steady and explosive, throwing for 552 yards and six touchdowns while adding 137 rushing yards and three more scores, production that has already put him on the national radar and helped the Volunteers enter SEC play with a real sense of momentum.
The first conference test, though, arrives in a hurry, and it comes with an awfully bright spotlight attached. ESPNs updated Total QBR rankings place Brandon sixth in the SEC with a 79.0 rating, and Tennessees opener against No. 1 Texas will immediately show how that early success translates against a defense and opponent built for the biggest stage. Arch Manning has been sharp for the Longhorns, and for Brandon, this is the kind of measuring stick that can say a lot without answering everything. [Read more 🡒]