Tennessee’s 2026 opener was a runaway from the start, and Pro Football Focus took a closer look at how the Vols performed in the 56-9 win over Furman on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium.
PFF’s staff of 300-plus experts watched the film and handed out grades to Tennessee players after the game. Those grades, as always, come with some caution attached. PFF does not know each player’s assignment on a given snap, and its evaluations can differ from what the coaches see on their own film review.
Even so, it remains a useful snapshot for fans who want more than the box score and don’t have the time to dig through every snap themselves.
As PFF explains it, “Taking every play into consideration allows for a larger sample size of data to tell the proper story rather than just a highlight reel of plays that we tend to remember, for better or worse,” Pro Football Focus defines about its grading process. “We also work to eliminate bias by not caring about the level of player who is being graded, so whether it's the best tackle in the league missing a block or one of the worst, the same grade is given.
Preconceived level of ability has no impact on the grading system. This style has worked well in unlocking undervalued gems through the years, while also not being swayed by player hype if it is undeserved.”
The system runs on a 1-100 scale. A 90-100 grade is considered elite, 85-89 is all-conference level, 70-84 means starter quality, 60-69 is backup quality and anything below 60 is viewed as replaceable.
Here’s how Tennessee was graded in its season-opening win over Furman, according to Pro Football Focus.
In Other News...
Tennessee Just Took An Early Hit In Its Receiver Rotation
Tennessees receiver depth took an early blow in the season opener when Joakim Dodson went down with a leg injury against Furman. Josh Heupel later confirmed the injury was season-ending, and Dodson was seen on crutches after getting hurt on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
For a Tennessee offense that leans on its wideouts to keep the tempo and spacing intact, the timing is less than ideal. The immediate ripple effect points to freshman Tyreek King moving into the backup slot role, a quick promotion that puts more responsibility on a young player before the Volunteers have even settled into September. [Read more 🡒]
Jesse Perry Just Gave Tennessee An Encouraging Offensive Line Sign
Jesse Perry gave Tennessee a useful glimpse of what the offensive line can look like when it is holding up its end of the bargain. On a recent 55-yard touchdown pass, the right tackle was a key part of the play, coming through with the kind of block that helps turn a routine snap into a chunk gain. It was the sort of snap linemen usually only get noticed for when something goes wrong, but this one stood out for all the right reasons.
SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic singled out Perrys blocking in a Twitter recap, and Pro Football Focus graded him as Tennessees highest-rated offensive lineman from the game. For a unit that is always under the microscope in the SEC, that kind of recognition matters, especially when it comes on a play that helped the offense hit big. The question now is whether Perry can keep that level of play going as the Volunteers keep sorting out their front. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees Opening Win Just Created A New Depth Problem
Tennessees season-opening win came with an immediate personnel hit, as wide receiver Joakim Dodson went down with a leg injury during a kick return and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. Before leaving the game, Dodson had logged 15 offensive snaps and handled one kickoff return for 20 yards, giving the Vols a brief look at a player who was part of both the passing game and special teams mix.
Now the challenge shifts to depth, especially in the slot and on kick returns, where Tennessee has to sort out who can absorb those snaps and those touches. It is the kind of early-season problem teams hope to avoid, because it does not just remove a receiver from the rotation, it also forces a quick answer on special teams for a unit that can be easy to overlook until an injury changes the math. [Read more 🡒]