Daevin Hobbs shut down a rumor about a serious injury on Monday night, offering Tennessee a quick dose of relief as the Vols move toward the 2026 season.
A social media post claimed the senior defensive lineman had fractured the same foot he injured last season, but Hobbs responded directly: “Not true.”
The reply came from Hobbs’ official X account, which is confirmed on his UTSports profile page.
That matters for Tennessee because Hobbs is expected to be one of the team’s top playmakers in 2026. He has improved his production in each of his first three seasons in Knoxville and appears poised to take another step in his senior year.
His 2025 season was his best yet, even with the disruption of a lower-body injury in fall camp. Hobbs missed the first five games before returning for the final eight, and he still posted career highs with 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in just eight appearances.
For a Tennessee defense with a relatively thin position group, keeping Hobbs healthy is a major development. He’s also been one of the more steady faces in the program, sticking with the Vols through four seasons in an era when the transfer portal makes it easier than ever to move on.
Earlier this fall, Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner praised Hobbs while also making clear what the staff wants from him moving forward.
“Pushing him like we always push him,” Garner said. “He can’t have up-and-down days.
We can’t be in our feelings. Hobbs is a very talented young man.
But like I told him, he’s got to be able to put that body of work together, and it’s been very unfortunate- the injuries that he’s had to fight and missing off-seasons and development, all that stuff. But time waits for no one.
We’ve got to keep coming that he has to accelerate that on and off the field, and embrace it. You understand what I’m saying?
So when I’m losing my mind, they know it’s not personal; it’s about the play that’s taking place out there on the field. And he’s got to be just as upset about it when he watches the film as I am, or any of them have to be.
That’s the thing. They need to be their own biggest critic.
And when we can get to that point, now we’re gonna have a chance.”
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Need To Know Neylands New Game Day Plan
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is rolling out a new traffic and parking setup around Neyland Stadium this fall, aiming to make football game days run a little smoother and a little safer. Fans who already have parking passes will be directed along designated routes and can also use shuttle options, while those without passes are being steered toward downtown parking and shuttle service instead of driving straight into the stadium area.
For Volunteers fans, the bigger change may be the amount of planning now required before kickoff. Several roads will be closed on game days, and the university is increasing police presence to help manage the flow of traffic around the stadium. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes adjustment that can make a long Saturday feel less chaotic, even if it means a different routine for anyone used to the old Neyland approach. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is Finally Taking On Neylands Biggest Gameday Frustration
For years, one of the most familiar complaints around Neyland Stadium has had nothing to do with what happens between the lines. Tennessee Athletics, working with local partners, has now developed and tested new gameday traffic patterns that are set to go into place beginning with the 2026 football season opener, a move designed to make the trip to and from South Knoxville feel a lot less like a test of patience.
The plan spells out designated routes for fans with parking passes and gives guidance for those without them, while police and consultants will help manage traffic more aggressively on the back end to improve departures after events. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes fix that usually only gets noticed when it works, but for a stadium experience as big as Neylands, smoothing out the bottlenecks could end up mattering as much to fans as anything on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Freshman Gabriel Osenda Is Giving Vols Hope And A New Worry
Gabriel Osenda arrived in Knoxville in January and has spent preseason doing the kind of work that gets a young offensive tackle noticed quickly. The Tennessee freshman has been taking reps at both left and right tackle, and line coach Glen Elarbee has already put him in the same conversation as current starter Jesse Perry, which tells you how seriously the staff views his long-term upside.
The flip side is the part Tennessee has to watch closely. Osenda recently dealt with a lower-body injury severe enough to leave him in a walking boot and on crutches after the Vols first scrimmage, a reminder that promising linemen can go from intriguing depth piece to roster concern in a hurry. For Tennessee, the hope is obvious - a young tackle who could push for a starting job down the line - but so is the worry about how much time he can spend on the practice field between now and the opener. [Read more 🡒]