Tennessee’s defense has taken another hit before the season even gets rolling, with sophomore linebacker Jaedon Harmon reportedly set to miss the 2026 season.
The news comes on the heels of another season-ending blow on the back end, as cornerback Jadais Richard was ruled out for the year with an injury heading into fall camp. This time, the Vols’ linebacker group is the one absorbing the loss.
Even so, Tennessee’s depth at linebacker softens the sting. Arion Carter, Amare Campbell, Edwin Spillman and Jeremiah Telander are all back with plenty of experience, and the group also includes young players Jadon Perlotte, Brayden Rouse and TJ White, who are all pushing for roles.
Carter’s absence to open the season adds a wrinkle. He will miss the first two games because of a flight taken during the pre-draft process that was repaid, and he is scheduled to return after games against Furman and Georgia Tech.
For Harmon, the route to meaningful snaps was already crowded. Carter, Campbell, Spillman, Telander and Perlotte were all viewed ahead of him on the depth chart, while Rouse and White also turned in strong spring camps and appeared ready to compete for playing time.
Harmon still managed to carve out a role as a freshman, appearing in all 13 games and usually contributing on special teams. He closed the year with 19 tackles, half a sack, half a tackle for loss and one pass breakup, including four tackles against Illinois in the Music City Bowl.
A consensus four-star recruit across the major services, Harmon came to Tennessee from Rome, Georgia, where he starred at Rome High School before joining the Vols.
In Other News...
Marshall Manning's First Football Debut Will Hit Home For Vols Fans
Marshall Mannings first taste of varsity football came in a setting that Tennessee fans know well enough to pay attention to. The freshman quarterback at Baylor School, and Peyton Mannings son, got into a preseason scrimmage against Buford and entered the game in the second quarter, a notable first step for a player whose last name still carries a lot of weight around Knoxville.
Manning is expected to work as a backup quarterback this season, so this was less about a headline-grabbing performance and more about the beginning of a longer football path. Baylor still came up short in the scrimmage, with Buford winning 20-13, but for Vols fans, the bigger storyline is simply seeing another Manning take a real snap on a field again. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Defense Just Took Another Hit At Linebacker
Tennessees defense is already navigating a difficult stretch before the 2026 season even gets underway, and the latest blow comes at linebacker. Jaedon Harmon, a promising second-year player who made a meaningful contribution as a true freshman last season, went down in practice with a torn ACL and is now set to miss the entire year.
The timing only adds to the strain for a unit that is dealing with other setbacks as well, including the suspension of Arion Carter and a season-ending injury to Miami transfer Jadais Richard. For a defense that had hoped to build depth and continuity in the middle, the margin for error just got even thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Dobbs Gets Another NFL Chance Vols Fans Will Want To Follow
Josh Dobbs is on the move again, and Tennessee fans have another familiar NFL quarterback to keep tabs on. The former Volunteers standout has signed with the Detroit Lions after being released by the New England Patriots, giving him a fresh opportunity to stick in the league as training camp and the preseason sort out the depth chart behind Jared Goff.
The path wont be straightforward, though, because Dobbs is stepping into a competition for the backup job rather than a clear-cut role. Hell be battling rookie Luke Altmyer, another quarterback Vols fans know from his college days against Tennessee, so this one adds a little extra interest for anyone still tracking Dobbs long professional journey. [Read more 🡒]