Tennessee kept leaning on youth Saturday night, but the Vols’ 24-14 loss to Auburn at Neyland Stadium still came with a shortened menu for the freshmen.
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon made his fifth straight start, though his night ended late in the second quarter after an apparent shoulder injury from the previous week’s 20-17 loss to top-ranked Texas. Sophomore George MacIntyre finished the game at quarterback. Brandon went 3-of-8 for 0 yards and an interception, and he added minus-9 yards on four carries.
Even with the game hanging around into the fourth quarter, Tennessee’s young group only got limited chances on offense. Five freshmen saw action there and on defense, and 11 true freshmen appeared overall, though several were used only on special teams.
On offense, freshman tight end Luca Wolf logged seven snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, while freshman wide receiver TK Keys played four snaps and freshman receiver Tyreek King played one. None of them caught a pass in a game where Tennessee threw just 18 times.
Up front and on defense, freshman defensive tackle JJ Finch played 14 snaps, according to PFF, without showing up in the stat sheet. Freshman linebacker Brayden Rouse, freshman defensive back Joel Wyatt, freshman linebacker TJ White, freshman offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda, freshman defensive back Jamyan Theodore and freshman defensive lineman Hezekiah Harris also got on the field, mostly on special teams, but none were credited with statistics.
Josh Heupel singled out Wyatt on Monday, praising the former top-100 prospect for what he did on special teams, especially on Tennessee’s punt unit. Jackson Ross punted six times against Auburn, and five of those kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line.
Freshman defensive end Kedric Golston II, who had played in each of Tennessee’s first four games, did not suit up because of an injury.
Here’s the full rundown of the freshmen who have seen action for Tennessee this season, along with their games played and offensive or defensive snaps:
Five-star QB Faizon Brandon
Five-star WR TK Keys - 5 games, 56 snaps
Five-star OT Gabriel Osenda - 5 games, 10 snaps
Four-star LB TJ White - 5 games, 4 snaps
Four-star ATH Joel Wyatt - 5 games, 4 snaps
Four-star DL Carter Gooden - 2 game, 4 snaps
Four-star LB Brayden Rouse - 3 game, 14 snaps
Four-star DL Breeze Carter - 3 games, 6 snaps
Four-star DL Dereon Albert - 2 games, 6 snaps
Four-star WR Tyreek King - 4 games, 13 snaps
Three-star EDGE Hezekiah Harris - 4 games, 5 snaps
Three-star EDGE Kedric Golston II - 4 games, 9 snaps
Three-star DL Darryl Rivers - 2 games, 7 snaps
Three-star SAF KJ McClain - 3 games, 4 snaps
Three-star DL JJ Finch - 4 games, 72 snaps
Three-star OL Ed Baker - 2 game, 16 snaps
Three-star CB Jamyan Theodore - 5 games, 10 snaps
Three-star OL Jeremy George-El - 1 game, 7 snaps
Three-star TE Luca Wolf - 5 games, 51 snaps
Three-star DL Nuk Simmons - 1 game, 2 snaps
And here are the freshmen who have not played yet, along with their 247Sports rankings coming out of high school:
Four-star OT Kamari Blair - No. 114 overall prospect, No. 13 offensive tackle
Four-star EDGE Zach Groves - No. 210 overall prospect, No. 23 edge
Four-star CB Zay Anderson - No. 16 cornerback, No. 9 player from Tennessee
Three-star EDGE CJ Edwards - No. 54 edge, No. 8 player from New Jersey
Three-star CB Javonte Smith - No. 55 cornerback, No. 16 player from Tennessee
Three-star SAF Jowell Combay - No. 44 safety, No. 59 player from Georgia
Three-star ATH Luke Thompson - No. 53 athlete, No. 22 player from Tennessee
Three-star RB Will Rajecki - No. 74 running back, No. 131 player from Georgia
Three-star WR JaColby Cooper - No. 205 wide receiver, No. 53 player from Tennessee
Three-star WR Brayden Carroll - No. 326 wide receiver, No. 74 player from Tennessee
In Other News...
How SEC Defenses Are Starting To Challenge Tennessees Offense
Josh Heupels offense at Tennessee has come a long way from the Mike Leach roots that helped shape his earlier coaching ideas. Over time, he has moved deeper into the Briles system, building the kind of fast, spread attack that has become so familiar in Knoxville and so difficult for SEC defenses to live with. The result has been one of the leagues defining schematic problems, with coordinators forced to decide whether to play fast and reactive or try to get creative before the ball is even snapped.
Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp offered one of the clearer examples of how opponents are adjusting, leaning on a Penny or 5-1 front to try to muddy Tennessees reads and slow the tempo. It is part of a broader wave of defensive adaptation around the SEC, where coaches are borrowing, tweaking and layering ideas to meet Heupels system on different terms. The bigger question now is whether those answers can hold up long enough to matter once Tennessee gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Lost Early Ground In A Recruitment That Once Looked Promising
A once-promising early run at Man Robinson has taken a turn for Tennessee, with the IMG Academy standout in the class of 2028 now committed to Florida State. The Volunteers had been viewed as having the edge at one point, which made Tennessee a real contender in a recruitment that had seemed to be trending in its favor.
For Tennessee, the timing adds another reminder of how quickly these early evaluations can shift, especially with so much of the 2028 cycle still ahead. The Volunteers still have quarterback Kaden Craft in that class, but Robinsons future relationship with the staff is still unclear, including whether he will make a visit to Knoxville or stay in contact as things move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Defense Faces A Brutal Tennessee Test It Hasn't Solved
Josh Heupel made a change under center in Tennessees recent game, turning from starter Faizon Brandon to George MacIntyre after Brandon struggled. The passing game never really settled into a groove, but MacIntyre gave the offense enough steadiness to keep things moving, and that only adds another wrinkle for an Arkansas defense already bracing for a difficult road ahead.
The Razorbacks know the bigger problem may not be the arm so much as the legs, because Tennessees rushing attack is the part that has consistently forced defenses into uncomfortable answers. Arkansas has spent the buildup trying to clean up its own issues against the run and limit explosive plays, but that is a tough ask against a Tennessee group that can punish mistakes quickly if the front seven loses control. [Read more 🡒]