Preseason camp has wrapped for Tennessee, and the Vols are now on the clock for the opener against Furman at Neyland Stadium, which is 12 days away.
After Saturday morning’s second scrimmage, Tennessee was off the field on Sunday and is set to move into a mock game week. That stretch begins Monday and runs through six straight days of lighter work.
The program is expected to put out an unofficial depth chart next Monday to open game week, but GoVols247 has already taken a swing at projecting how Tennessee will actually line up on offense, defense and special teams. There are no “ORs” in this version.
The competition for jobs was real all over the roster. Tennessee had several starting battles and a handful of crowded spots for playing time, and those decisions have come into focus over the past three weeks.
With 12 practices and two scrimmages in the books, players had plenty of chances to show the staff they could be counted on. The Vols also had to work through three season-ending injuries and other absences during the month.
That makes the opening picture a little more defined, even with plenty still to sort out. Tennessee is preparing to install a first-time starting quarterback into an offense that returns eight starters. On the other side of the ball, the defense is operating under new leadership, with first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles in charge of steering the turnaround.
GoVols247’s projected depth chart for the 2026 season is built to show more than a simple pecking order. The format is meant to identify who starts, who plays and how the rotations could shake out as Tennessee heads into the season.
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 🡒]