Tennessee’s safety room took another hit this week, with Dylan Lewis reportedly set to miss the rest of the season because of a foot injury.
VolQuest reported that Lewis was hurt against Kennesaw State and will not return in 2026. He also sat out Tennessee’s game against Texas last week.
Lewis, now in his sophomore season, had carved out a role early. Before the injury, he was one of the first safeties off the bench and logged 33 defensive snaps against Furman. On the depth chart, he was listed behind Dejuan Lane alongside Sidney Walton, and he had 6 tackles on the year.
His freshman season was lighter on defensive work, but he still got into five games and finished with one tackle, coming on special teams against Georgia. He also worked on coverage units against ETSU, Georgia, UAB, Mississippi State and New Mexico State.
A native of Atlanta, Lewis played at Milton High School and arrived at Tennessee as a consensus three-star recruit. He was ranked as a top-75 cornerback nationally by both 247Sports and On3, and he also shared a high school team with current Vols starting cornerback Ty Redmond.
With Lewis out, Tennessee has leaned heavily on Lane and TJ Metcalf at safety. Edrees Farooq was expected to be a major piece as well, but he went down in fall camp and is out for the season. Lane and Metcalf played every snap at safety against Texas.
If Tennessee does want to mix in more bodies, Sidney Walton and DJ Burks are next up on the depth chart. The Vols also have Qua Moss, Tevis Metcalf and Isaiah Hardge available at nickelback.
Tennessee’s next test comes in its second SEC game of the season, a home matchup with Auburn. The Tigers are coached by former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, and several other staff members are also making the trip back to Rocky Top.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Other News...
Tennessee Texas Finish Just Got An Official Officiating Twist
The Southeastern Conference added an officiating wrinkle to Tennessees loss to Texas, saying the Volunteers drop-kick onside attempt was handled incorrectly. The league said the kick should have drawn a five-yard penalty and a replay of the down because it was taken from behind the required 35-yard line, a violation of free-kick rules.
Even so, the correction does not change the result of Texas 20-17 win over Tennessee. For the Volunteers, it leaves one more frustrating detail attached to a game already decided by a narrow margin, even if the official ruling stops short of altering the final scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Secondary Just Took Another Brutal Hit Before Auburn
Tennessees secondary is dealing with another setback heading into Auburn, with sophomore defensive back Dylan Lewis expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season because of a foot injury he suffered against Kennesaw State. Lewis had already been listed as out in SEC availability reports before the Texas game, and he was later seen in a walking boot, a clear sign the injury was serious enough to keep him sidelined for an extended stretch.
For a defense already managing other season-ending injuries in the back end, losing Lewis only tightens the margin for error. The Vols have had to keep adjusting their depth and rotations in the secondary, and now they head into the Auburn matchup with another important piece unavailable, leaving the coaching staff to sort out how to patch together a group that has been hit hard. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Are Stuck On One Faizon Brandon Debate
Tennessees loss to Texas left plenty of fingerprints on the offense, but the loudest postgame debate has centered on Faizon Brandon and how much of the struggle was really on the quarterback. Brandon finished 17 of 29 for 145 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, yet the bigger number was the sacks, with Tennessees protection breaking down often enough to make the whole night feel hurried and uneven.
Film analyst Brooks Austin pushed back on the idea that Brandon alone was responsible, pointing to a shaky run game and the lines problems up front as part of the picture. Josh Heupel sounded similarly measured, saying Brandon may have been sped up and stressing that the answer has to come from more than one player. For Tennessee, the uncomfortable part is that the debate is still open, and the film may only deepen it. [Read more 🡒]