Tennessee got the kind of update that can settle a fan base fast.
After DeSean Bishop’s injury scare in the Week 3 win over Kennesaw State, Josh Heupel said Monday that the running back will be ready for No. 1 Texas.
Bishop was hurt in the first half, then returned in the third quarter for two carries before exiting again, leaving plenty of concern in Knoxville. Heupel took that off the table with one clear message:
"We'll make sure he's fully ready to go on Saturday."
Josh Heupel on running back DeSean Bishop's status for the Texas game
That matters a lot for Tennessee’s setup against the top team in the country. If Bishop had been unavailable, even more of the burden would have landed on quarterback Faizon Brandon. Instead, the Vols can lean on their lead back and keep their ground game intact.
Daune Morris is expected to remain part of the plan as well. He has flashed in consecutive wins over Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State, and against Kennesaw State he ran for 116 yards and a touchdown. But Bishop remains the headliner in that room, and Tennessee is likely to ask him to carry the load early and often against Texas.
The junior has been productive through three weeks, with 43 carries for 286 yards and four touchdowns. That works out to 6.7 yards per carry, and it’s been enough to make him a central piece of what Tennessee wants to do on offense.
On the other side, Texas is dealing with its own uncertainty. Steve Sarkisian has not said whether linebacker Colin Simmons will play, and while he downplayed the injury, he also pushed back when reporters pressed for more details.
Steve Sarkisian asked about Colin Simmons:
"There's called an injury report in the SEC, so that's enough of the injury questions."
- David Eckert (@davideckert98) September 21, 2026
For Tennessee, though, the biggest update of the day was the one that mattered most: Bishop is expected to be out there in Knoxville. After a brief scare, the Vols appear set to have their top running back available when Texas comes to town.
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That part of the process is what could stir up a familiar Vols debate, since the show has gone a lot of different directions over the years with guests such as Charles Barkley, Peyton Manning and comedians Nate Bargatze and Theo Von. Around Tennessee, the list of possible names is wide enough to fuel arguments of its own, with Rick Barnes, Bianca Belair, Candace Parker and Kenny Chesney all mentioned as possibilities as the countdown to kickoff continues. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Texas Test Just Got Clearer With One Big Availability Shift
The buildup to Tennessees SEC opener against Texas got a little cleaner Wednesday night when the latest injury reports came out, and one of the more noteworthy updates for the Vols was the absence of DeSean Bishop and Daevin Hobbs from the list. That matters with conference play beginning and the Longhorns bringing a defensive front that Tennessee will have to handle from the start.
Tennessee still has several players listed as out or questionable, with some season-ending injuries already part of the picture, but the Texas side also has its own status questions to sort through. The Longhorns, though, are expecting defensive lineman Colin Simmons to be available, which gives the opener a clearer shape on one side and just enough uncertainty on the other to keep the matchup interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Spurrier Just Weighed In On A Texas Game Gators Fans Know Well
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For Volunteers fans, Spurriers opinion adds another layer to a matchup that already carries plenty of intrigue. He has spent plenty of time on the other side of this rivalry landscape, winning often against Tennessee during his Florida years, and he also has a personal connection to the state. So when Spurrier talks up the Vols in a game like this, it is not just idle chatter - it is the kind of comment that gets attention well beyond Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]