With Week 1 in the books across the country, Tennessee has already gotten a first glance at nearly everyone on its 2026 schedule. Some of those teams looked exactly like expected. A few raised eyebrows in both directions.
Here’s the early read on each Vols opponent after one weekend of football.
Georgia Tech gave Tennessee plenty to feel good about after a 14-13 home loss to Colorado. The Yellow Jackets’ offense was rough, even if quarterback Alberto Mendoza held up fine.
The bigger problem was up front, where Georgia Tech had no answer for Colorado’s run game. The Buffaloes controlled the trenches, but they couldn’t really punish it through the air until the very end.
That kind of opener should boost confidence in Tennessee’s ground game. Faizon Brandon and DeSean Bishop could be in line for big days against that defense, which is part of why UT is sitting as a near two-touchdown favorite.
Kennesaw State wasn’t a major concern entering the season, and the opener didn’t change that. The Owls handled West Georgia 47-0 and looked balanced on offense, showing production both throwing the ball and running it. Still, Tennessee shouldn’t have too much trouble there at home.
Texas showed some polish in its 59-7 win over Texas State, even if the Longhorns didn’t quite look every bit like the No. 5 team in the country. There were some soft spots, but the top two receivers jumped off the page. Ryan Wingo had seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, while Cam Coleman turned three grabs into 70 yards and two scores.
Arch Manning also delivered a strong debut. He went 20-of-27 for 305 yards and four touchdowns, though he did throw one interception. It was a productive outing, but not a spotless one.
Auburn escaped Baylor 17-16 in Atlanta, and the final result came down to a two-point conversion stop at the end. It was a good first win for Alex Golesh in his first year with the Tigers, but not one that should send chills through the SEC.
Byrum Brown, who followed Golesh over from USF, had a mixed night. He threw for 259 yards and added 27 rushing yards and a touchdown, but three interceptions will be a problem once league play starts. Auburn’s defense looked steady, though it was working against DJ Lagway, who continued to have issues.
Arkansas was a mess in Ryan Silverfield’s first game. The Razorbacks beat North Alabama 31-14, but that should have been much more comfortable than it was.
They moved the ball well enough, yet turnovers kept dragging them down. KJ Jackson threw a pick and lost a fumble, and Sutton Smith also put one on the ground.
Tennessee’s last trip to Fayetteville ended in a loss against an Arkansas team that wasn’t especially good, but this version doesn’t look like much of a threat either, at least not yet.
Alabama’s 48-10 win over East Carolina came with some warning signs. The Tide handled business on the scoreboard, but not in the clean, dominant way you might expect.
At quarterback, Keelon Russell flashed some of the issues SEC defenses could go after. He completed just 18 of 30 passes, though he did help as a runner.
The biggest buzz from that game may have been around Ryan Coleman-Williams. The former freshman phenom, who has not been a major factor since his breakout against Georgia, had multiple drops against ECU. Even so, he finished with five catches for 130 yards, which at least showed the ceiling is still there if he starts securing the ball.
South Carolina belongs in the group of teams that looked solid but still need more proof. The Gamecocks beat Kent State 57-0, and after a slow first drive, LaNorris Sellers helped them rip right through the Golden Flashes. Defensively, South Carolina never let Kent State get comfortable.
It was a strong start, just not enough to fully settle the debate on what kind of team the Gamecocks really are.
Kentucky sits in a similar spot, though the Wildcats’ 45-13 win over Youngstown State wasn’t quite as impressive. Kenny Minchey looked good at quarterback, but the defense allowed 246 passing yards to an FCS opponent. That won’t be good enough in the SEC, and Kentucky still has some proving to do.
Texas A&M looked every bit like a top-10 team in a 50-0 win over Missouri State. Marcel Reed was effective as the Aggies moved the ball both on the ground and through the air, and the defense was the real hammer. Texas A&M held Missouri State to 67 total yards and forced three fumbles.
It still needs a tougher test, but the first one went about as well as the Aggies could have hoped.
LSU made the loudest statement of the weekend with a 51-10 win over Clemson. The Tigers were impressive, but the result also said plenty about how shaky Clemson looked. Dabo Swinney’s team didn’t resemble a serious ACC threat.
Sam Leavitt recovered well after an early interception, though he didn’t have to carry the night. LSU ran for 309 yards and the defense shut things down. That was enough to earn credit for the performance, even if it doesn’t quite make them a finished product yet.
Vanderbilt, meanwhile, was a reminder of how much Diego Pavia matters. The Commodores tried both Blaze Berlowitz and Jared Curtis, but the offense struggled badly in a 28-9 win over Austin Peay, a game that ended a few minutes early because of weather. Curtis, in my opinion, already looks far better than Berlowitz, but Clark Lea is going to have to cut him loose, and I’m not sure he will.
The defense did its part against the Governors, but if the offense can’t help, this season could start looking more like the 2024 Vanderbilt team that finished 6-6 than last year’s group.
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Still Found A Way To Keep Game Day Tradition Alive
Rain may have knocked out the full Tennessee Vol Walk before the Furman game at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, but it did not shut down one of the programs most familiar pregame traditions. With inclement weather forcing a cancellation, the scene outside the stadium still had the feel of a normal Saturday in Knoxville, only with ponchos, fans and a little more improvisation than usual.
Players and fans found a way to make the most of it with a modified walk that still brought both sides together before kickoff. The details were different, but the point of the tradition held up anyway, and for a fan base that treats game day as more than just the four quarters on the field, even a weather delay could not fully interrupt the ritual. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Found An Unexpected Defensive Tone-Setter In Its Debut Win
Xavier Gilliam made a memorable first impression in Tennessees opener, turning his debut into the kind of defensive spark that can change the tone of a season. The redshirt sophomore defensive lineman, a transfer from Penn State, finished with three sacks against Furman, giving the Volunteers a disruptive edge up front and immediately injecting some life into a unit looking for a tone-setter.
It was the most sacks by a Tennessee player in a single game since 2018, a noteworthy marker even against an overmatched opponent. More importantly for the Volunteers, Gilliams arrival added a new layer to the defensive line conversation and hinted at what kind of identity Jim Knowles may be trying to build on that side of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has An Early O-Line Concern Before Georgia Tech
Tennessee got through its season opener against Furman with a little less certainty in the middle of the line than it expected. Sam Pendleton, the Vols returning starting center, was held out after an injury was discovered following warm-ups, leaving the offense to make a quick adjustment before kickoff. Sophomore Nic Moore stepped into the spot and handled the assignment well, giving Tennessee a usable answer in a pinch.
Josh Heupel said Pendleton is expected to be ready for the next game against Georgia Tech, which should ease the immediate concern for a line that needs stability early in the year. Even with Moores solid outing, the Vols will be watching closely to see how quickly Pendleton gets back into rhythm, because center is one of the spots where timing and communication matter as much as raw talent. [Read more 🡒]