Tennessee is heading into fall camp with plenty of noise around the 2026 season, and not all of it is upbeat. The Vols have been mentioned in the same breath as playoff hopes and a possible step back, which tells you how unsettled this roster still feels.
The biggest concern starts under center. Tennessee is set to break in another new quarterback, and this time the options are all still pretty raw. Redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre, five-star freshman Faizon Brandon and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub are battling for the job.
MacIntyre knows Josh Heupel’s system better than the others, but his game action as a true freshman last season was limited to fewer than 10 passes, all against inferior opponents. Brandon brings the highest ceiling and the kind of long-term buzz that comes with being a five-star prospect, but Tennessee fans know that label does not guarantee anything. Staub has the most college experience of the group after seeing time at Colorado and briefly starting there, though he struggled in the Big 12.
The defensive line is another area that could leave Tennessee vulnerable. The Vols had what might have been the best and deepest front in the country in 2024, but that group thinned out in 2025 and the projection for this year is not much more comforting, even with Jim Knowles taking over as defensive coordinator.
At defensive end, Tennessee is leaning on Tyree Weathersby and Mariyon Dye. Weathersby is a fourth-year player, but injuries have slowed him down.
Dye is entering his second season after working mostly in reserve as a freshman. After those two, the depth chart gets young fast, with freshmen waiting behind them.
The interior looks stronger at the top. Daevin Hobbs, Nathan Robinson, Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley are back, and Penn State transfer Xavier Gilliam is expected to play a significant role. But once again, the depth behind that group is made up of freshmen.
The most unsettled spot might be LEO. Tennessee brought in Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman this offseason, but he was medically disqualified and will not play for the Vols. That leaves Tulane transfer Jordan Norman as the main piece there, with redshirt-freshman Christian Gass and freshmen filling out the room.
Then there’s the schedule, which is about to get even tougher. The SEC is moving to a nine-game league slate, up from eight, and Tennessee’s draw is loaded.
Home dates include Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and LSU. The road trip list is Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
The nonconference slate includes home games against Furman and Kennesaw State, plus a road game at Georgia Tech in Week 2. Tennessee is favored in that one, but it still has the kind of setup that can get tricky.
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JaKobi Gillespies First NBA Test Gave Vols Fans Mixed Feelings
JaKobi Gillespies first NBA Summer League run with the San Antonio Spurs gave Tennessee fans a little of everything to process. In a close loss to the Miami Heat, the former Vol logged 29 minutes and showed the kind of all-around feel that made him such a quick favorite in Knoxville, finishing with 10 points, eight assists, four rebounds and three steals.
The shooting line was rough enough to leave some mixed feelings, but the broader picture was still encouraging for a player taken 42nd overall and coming off one season at Tennessee. Gillespies playmaking stood out most, and for Vols fans who watched him help push that team to the Elite Eight and earn All-SEC honors, the debut offered an early reminder that his game can impact more than just the scoring column. [Read more 🡒]