No. 14 Tennessee will have to deal with a major SEC availability blow when No. 6 Alabama comes to Neyland Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Vols and Crimson Tide meet at 3:30 p.m. ET in Knoxville for another Third Saturday in October matchup, with Tennessee sitting at 5-1 after last weekend’s road win at Arkansas.
Alabama also enters at 5-1, armed with wins over Mississippi State, South Carolina, Florida State and Kentucky. As of Wednesday night, Tennessee was listed as an 8.5-point underdog.
Thursday night’s SEC availability report brought no change for Tennessee. The Vols’ list of players out remained the same, and most of those absences are tied to season-ending injuries. The source also noted that Wendell Moe Jr. is out for the season because of an injury.
The only Tennessee player specifically listed as questionable was quarterback Faizon Brandon. He was banged up against Texas a few weeks ago, did not play against Arkansas last weekend, and had been labeled a game-time decision against the Razorbacks.
Alabama’s report carried the bigger headline. Wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams is out, a significant loss for the Crimson Tide offense. Over six games, he has posted 415 yards and four touchdowns on 23 catches, and he leads Alabama in those three categories, with his receptions total tied with Lotzeir Brooks.
The Tide also listed linebacker Desmond Umeozulu, linebacker Cayden Jones, defensive back Nick Sherman, defensive lineman Jeremiah Beaman and defensive lineman Terrance Green as out.
One other Alabama update came on the offensive line: Racin Delgatty was downgraded from questionable to doubtful and is the team’s starting center. Linebacker Justin Hill was listed as probable.
In Other News...
Tennessee Has One Clear Edge Entering Alabama Game That Could Matter
Tennessee and Alabama head into the Third Saturday in October with matching 5-1 records, but the numbers around this matchup suggest the Volunteers have work to do to close the gap. The SEC comparisons lean heavily toward Alabama in most major categories, from scoring offense and defense to rushing, passing, and sacks, which helps explain why Tennessee is sitting as a 7.5-point underdog on DraftKings and is given just a 28.4% chance to win by ESPNs FPI Matchup Predictor.
Even with that imbalance, Tennessee does have one clear edge entering the game, and it could end up mattering in a rivalry where small openings tend to decide everything. The challenge for the Volunteers is turning that advantage into something Alabama has to account for, because the rest of the statistical profile points to a tough afternoon if Tennessee cannot make its best strength show up early. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee May Be Running Out Of Time In This 5-Star Battle
Kellan Halls rise to the top of the 2028 Rivals Industry Rankings has only sharpened the focus on his recruitment, and Tennessee is among the programs trying to stay in the mix for the elite defensive lineman from Christian Academy of Louisville. Hall is now the No. 1 overall prospect in the class and a five-star recruit across all major services, which makes him the type of player every SEC staff wants to keep tabs on early.
For the Volunteers, the challenge is that the momentum appears to be leaning elsewhere right now. Kentucky is the clear favorite in the Rivals Prediction Machine, and Hall has also signaled interest in staying close to home under coach Will Stein, giving the Wildcats a strong position in a battle Tennessee would love to tighten before it gets too far away. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Already Has 3 Players Drawing Serious NFL Draft Attention
Before Tennessee even gets deep into another fall, the program is already showing up in early 2027 NFL Draft chatter. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. put out his first big board for that draft cycle and included three Volunteers who have positioned themselves well enough to get national attention: defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, linebacker Arion Carter and running back DeSean Bishop. For a roster trying to keep stacking talent, it is another reminder that the NFL will be watching closely.
Gilliam landed as Kipers No. 2 defensive tackle, Carter was slotted No. 4 among linebackers and Bishop showed up in the running back discussion as a just-missed name. It is still early, of course, and the 2027 draft does not arrive until April 29 in Washington, D.C., but Tennessee having three players already popping on an analysts first pass says plenty about the caliber of talent the Vols have assembled. [Read more 🡒]