Texas A&M’s 2026 schedule already has one late-season date that stands out: Tennessee coming to Kyle Field on Nov. 14. It’s the Aggies’ second-to-last home game, and there’s a chance it lands under the lights if both teams’ records line up that way.
The Aggies open the season back at Kyle Field on Sept. 5 against Missouri State, then settle into a three-game home stand before their first real test arrives in week four. Even with that friendly start, the back half of the schedule looks loaded, and Tennessee is part of that grind.
Texas A&M will also see Alabama, Texas, and an LSU team that is expected to ride a wave of momentum. Tennessee, though, could end up in that same conversation if the right pieces fall into place.
Josh Heupel has kept the Volunteers in the SEC’s second tier since arriving in Knoxville, and he enters his sixth season with a 45-20 record over five years. He inherited a program that had gone 3-7 the year before, then steadily pushed Tennessee forward.
The high point came in 2024, when the Volunteers finished 10-3, reached their first College Football Playoff, and won 10 games for the second time in three years. Tennessee slipped back in 2025, missing the playoff and finishing 8-5.
That brings the spotlight to the biggest issue on Heupel’s hands heading into 2026: who will be Tennessee’s starting quarterback? The Volunteers are set for an open battle in fall camp between true freshman Faizon Brandon and redshirt freshman George MacIntyre.
Brandon arrives in Knoxville with plenty of buzz as a five-star prospect and the No. 3 quarterback in the class of 2026. MacIntyre, meanwhile, has a year in Tennessee’s system already under his belt.
If Tennessee gets the quarterback spot sorted out, the Volunteers have a chance to regain the form they showed a few seasons ago. If not, the matchup with Texas A&M could be a tougher climb than it looks on paper.
In Other News...
Another Lady Vols Staff Change Just Raised A Bigger Concern
Another piece of the Lady Vols offseason staff shuffle has now landed with a familiar face moving on. Roman Tubner, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Kim Caldwell, was not retained by Tennessee after the season and has since resurfaced elsewhere after previously coaching at Alabama under Kristy Curry. The Lady Vols also made other changes on the bench, bringing in Bill Ferrara and Isoken Uzamere to replace Tubner and Gabe Lazo.
For Tennessee, the bigger concern is not just turnover, but how often the program has had to reset around it. Tubners next stop adds another layer to that dynamic, especially with a transfer decision now tying him back into the same recruiting and roster conversations the Lady Vols are still navigating. Even after the staff changes were announced, the ripple effects of who left, who arrived and who followed are still being felt. [Read more 🡒]
George MacIntyre Just Made A Notable Step In Tennessee's QB Push
George MacIntyres offseason work has given Tennessee something tangible to point to as fall camp approaches. Under new strength coach Derek Owings, the quarterback has added weight and now sits at 208 pounds after arriving on campus much lighter, a sign the programs nutrition and daily weigh-in emphasis is already paying off.
The timing matters because MacIntyre is about to enter a real competition for the starting job, with Faizon Brandon and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub also in the mix. Tennessee set 210 pounds as the target for him, and he is close enough now that the next step is less about the scale and more about how he carries that added size when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees 2026 Roster Already Looks Different Under New Strength Staff
Tennessees offseason roster update already offers a glimpse of how much can change when a new strength staff gets to work. After hiring Derek Owings, the highest-paid strength coach in college football, the Vols have seen returning players come back with noticeably different bodies, a sign that the program is pushing for a different kind of physical profile heading into 2026.
The changes are not all in one direction, either. Some players have added size and muscle, while others have trimmed down, including a few names across the defense and along the line. For Tennessee, the real intrigue is how those shifts will show up once camp opens and the roster starts to look less like a spreadsheet and more like a depth chart. [Read more 🡒]