No. 14 Tennessee’s showdown with No. 1 Texas already had plenty of juice, but the weekend picked up another layer when 5-star Ohio State EDGE commit David Jacobs lined up a visit to Knoxville.
Jacobs will make the trip with his younger brother Dawson, a 4-star Tennessee target in the 2028 class, along with the rest of his family. For Josh Heupel and Rodney Garner, that means one more chance to try to pry loose one of the nation’s premier pass rushers.
The climb is steep. According to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Jacobs has already made it clear to Heupel and Garner, through his father, that he is still fully locked in with Ohio State despite the visit. His father put it bluntly: "DJ is straight forward telling those people he’s locked in with Ohio State," his father said.
That doesn’t mean Tennessee is easing off. If anything, the Vols are treating this as a real shot, even if the odds remain long.
Garner’s ties could matter here more than anything else; he coached Jacobs’ father at Georgia, and that relationship has stayed strong. Because of that connection, Tennessee continues to push and believe it has a legitimate chance to land the 6-foot-5, 240-pound defender when December arrives.
The timing is about as favorable as it gets for Tennessee. College GameDay will be in town for the Week 4 matchup with Texas, and the atmosphere around campus is expected to be loud. If the Vols can pull off the upset, that could leave a lasting impression on Jacobs, especially with the chance to sell him on playing in Jim Knowles’ defense down the line.
Jacobs is the No. 1 pass-rusher in the 2027 class, and Tennessee is hoping this weekend gives it a crack at changing the conversation. Still, for now, he remains headed to Ohio State, and he has been adamant that his pledge won’t budge.
That’s what makes this such a critical swing for the Vols. Georgia got a look earlier in the season when Jacobs and his brother visited Athens, only for reports to later surface saying the Bulldogs were not a serious threat to flip him. Tennessee wants a different ending than that.
Whether the Vols can actually make this visit matter is the question. But with the Texas game, the national spotlight, and a family trip to Knoxville all lined up at once, Heupel and Garner have their best chance yet to turn Jacobs’ head.
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College GameDay Guest Picker For Tennessee Texas Could Spark Vols Debate
ESPNs College GameDay is headed to Knoxville for Tennessees September 26 matchup with Texas, and the early conversation is already drifting beyond the game itself. The biggest question around the shows visit is the celebrity guest picker, a role that usually leans toward someone with ties to the host school and a little local star power to match the moment.
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
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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
Steve Spurrier is never shy about weighing in on a big SEC-leaning game, and the former Florida star and coach has now circled Tennessee for an upset pick against Texas. His reasoning was simple enough: the Volunteers already beat the Longhorns once, and he likes their chances again with the game coming to Knoxville, where the crowd and the setting can tilt things in Tennessees favor.
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 🡒]