Tennessee’s first SEC game of the season already has the feel of a heavyweight early test, and Texas is bringing plenty of intrigue into Knoxville.
The Vols will host the Longhorns on September 26 at noon ET, with the game set for ABC or ESPN and a Checker Neyland crowd waiting to turn up the noise. The preseason AP Poll only adds to the spotlight: Tennessee checks in at No. 20, while Texas sits at No. 5, the second-highest ranking in the SEC.
But the Longhorns haven’t exactly cruised through the fall with everything looking sharp.
One of the biggest concerns is up front, where All-SEC tackle Trevor Goosby suffered a left knee injury that could keep him out against Tennessee. There has also been some attention on star wide receiver Cam Coleman after clips of impressive catches made the rounds, though some observers noted the throws behind them weren’t exactly clean.
The clearest buzz out of Texas came from Saturday’s scrimmage, where the defense apparently set the tone. Tyler Horka reported that Steve Sarkisian described the workout as “good and bad.”
The good, per Sarkisian, was that Texas battled through heavy heat and still got 120 plays in, while the defense “showed up ready to go.” The bad was the offense, which turned it over four times.
Sarkisian said, “It was too sloppy for my liking.”
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian says today’s scrimmage was “good and bad.”
Good: UT fought through immense heat and still managed to log 120 plays. Defense “showed up ready to go.”
Bad: The offense turned the ball over 4 times. “It was too sloppy for my liking.”
- Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) August 22, 2026
Arch Manning will be Texas’ starting quarterback for the second year in a row, but the issues around Coleman and the turnovers Sarkisian referenced don’t necessarily point directly at him. The source of those problems wasn’t identified, and they could have come from deeper on the depth chart.
Manning is coming off a 2025 season in which he threw for 3,163 yards, 26 touchdowns and seven interceptions. On the other side, Tennessee is expected to roll out a young quarterback in Knoxville, either Faizon Brandon or George MacIntyre.
That makes the Texas defense one of the biggest variables in this matchup. If the Longhorns bring the kind of disruption they flashed in scrimmage, the Vols’ quarterback will have to look a lot more seasoned than his experience says he is.
And if Texas’ offense keeps stumbling, Tennessee has a real opening to make a statement. With the home crowd ready to pile on the pressure, any early Texas mistakes could get loud in a hurry.
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Need To Know Neylands New Game Day Plan
The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is rolling out a new traffic and parking setup around Neyland Stadium this fall, aiming to make football game days run a little smoother and a little safer. Fans who already have parking passes will be directed along designated routes and can also use shuttle options, while those without passes are being steered toward downtown parking and shuttle service instead of driving straight into the stadium area.
For Volunteers fans, the bigger change may be the amount of planning now required before kickoff. Several roads will be closed on game days, and the university is increasing police presence to help manage the flow of traffic around the stadium. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes adjustment that can make a long Saturday feel less chaotic, even if it means a different routine for anyone used to the old Neyland approach. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is Finally Taking On Neylands Biggest Gameday Frustration
For years, one of the most familiar complaints around Neyland Stadium has had nothing to do with what happens between the lines. Tennessee Athletics, working with local partners, has now developed and tested new gameday traffic patterns that are set to go into place beginning with the 2026 football season opener, a move designed to make the trip to and from South Knoxville feel a lot less like a test of patience.
The plan spells out designated routes for fans with parking passes and gives guidance for those without them, while police and consultants will help manage traffic more aggressively on the back end to improve departures after events. It is the kind of behind-the-scenes fix that usually only gets noticed when it works, but for a stadium experience as big as Neylands, smoothing out the bottlenecks could end up mattering as much to fans as anything on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Freshman Gabriel Osenda Is Giving Vols Hope And A New Worry
Gabriel Osenda arrived in Knoxville in January and has spent preseason doing the kind of work that gets a young offensive tackle noticed quickly. The Tennessee freshman has been taking reps at both left and right tackle, and line coach Glen Elarbee has already put him in the same conversation as current starter Jesse Perry, which tells you how seriously the staff views his long-term upside.
The flip side is the part Tennessee has to watch closely. Osenda recently dealt with a lower-body injury severe enough to leave him in a walking boot and on crutches after the Vols first scrimmage, a reminder that promising linemen can go from intriguing depth piece to roster concern in a hurry. For Tennessee, the hope is obvious - a young tackle who could push for a starting job down the line - but so is the worry about how much time he can spend on the practice field between now and the opener. [Read more 🡒]