Tennessee is unlikely to get Javin Gordon back on the field this week.
The sophomore running back is listed as doubtful for Wednesday’s game against Auburn after missing the Vols’ last two games with a leg injury. Gordon, who transferred in from Tulane and is in his first season with Tennessee, has played in two games so far for the Vols.
Against Furman and at Georgia Tech, he logged 20 carries for 79 yards and has not scored a touchdown. He’s also caught one pass for 18 yards.
With Gordon sidelined, DeSean Bishop and Daune Morris have handled the work in the backfield. In Tennessee’s game against Texas, Bishop ran 11 times for 34 yards, while Morris added nine carries for 33 yards. The rest of the rushing attempts came from quarterbacks Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre.
Gordon’s background at Tulane is part of what made him an appealing addition for Tennessee. He played in all 14 games last season, including the College Football Playoffs loss to Ole Miss, and started six of those contests. He finished the year with a PFF grade of 72.7.
“You look at it, he’s a guy that goes out there and plays early as a freshman, a true freshman in college, on a playoff-caliber team, and he did a really good job of starting five games in that season,” UT running backs coach De’Rail Sims said during the preseason. “He was productive from that standpoint, but you see a guy that has a really high ceiling that is not maxed out from that standpoint.
“You saw the pass-catching ability out of the backfield, the pass protection ability, the running the football ability, as well. Feeling like from a character standpoint, he was a really good fit that would fit into that room, and he’s done that.”
Kickoff between Tennessee and Auburn is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium, with the game airing on ESPN.
In Other News...
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The opening drive against Texas left Tennessee with an immediate problem on the left side of its offensive line, and it is one the Volunteers are now expected to live with for the rest of the 2026 season. Starting left guard Wendell Moe Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the year after sustaining an injury in that game, and head coach Josh Heupel has not offered any specifics on the injury itself.
In the meantime, Tennessee has already started to reshuffle up front, moving Sham Umarov to left guard and inserting Donovan Haslam at right guard. It is the kind of in-game adjustment that can solve one issue for a night, but for the Volunteers it also underscores how much strain one absence can put on the interior of the line as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Lost A Proven Starter At The Worst Possible Time
Wendell Moe Jr. was supposed to be one of the steadying pieces of Tennessees season, the veteran guard who brought preseason All-American recognition and returned as an All-SEC pick. Instead, the Volunteers are bracing for life without him after he was injured against Texas, a blow that lands especially hard because of how much value he provided on an offensive line that already needed continuity and reliability.
The timing makes it even tougher for Tennessee, which now has to sort through its depth and identify the next linemen up for the coming stretch of games. Losing a proven starter in the middle of the season changes the look of the line immediately, and for a team with big ambitions, the absence of a player with Moe Jr.s experience is the kind of setback that can ripple well beyond one position group. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Got A Faizon Brandon Scare At The Worst Time
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Brandon also did not appear on Tennessees initial SEC Student Athlete Availability Report for the upcoming Auburn game, which points to the staff expecting him to be available. Josh Heupel added to that optimism by confirming Brandon was healthy and ready to play, a reassuring update for a Tennessee team that can ill afford another setback at quarterback as conference play keeps tightening. [Read more 🡒]