Texas is trying to turn Saturday’s win over Tennessee into something bigger than a one-game statement. On Monday, the Longhorns extended an offer to Vols defensive line commit Christian Mays, and the recruitment is already moving fast enough to suggest Texas wants to make a real run at flipping him.
Cody Carpentier of OrangeBloods reported that Texas is pushing for Mays to change course from Tennessee. That adds another layer to a recruitment that has been active for months, and now the pressure is on after the two schools just met on the field.
Mays committed to Tennessee in June, when the Vols were among the earliest major programs to get involved with the junior college prospect and eventually won out with his pledge. Since then, he has also drawn offers from Colorado, Georgia, Arkansas, Auburn and Mississippi State, among others.
The interest makes sense when you look at the profile. Mays is a four-star prospect on 247 and checks in as the No. 2 junior college recruit in the country, the No. 1 junior college defensive lineman and the No. 1 player from Colorado. He is originally from Lakewood, Colorado, where he played his prep football.
At Northeast Mississippi, Mays has shown production to match the buzz. As a freshman in 2025, he put up 17 tackles, five tackles for loss and a sack in eight games. This season, through five games, he has 15 tackles, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
He is listed by 247 at 6-foot-5 and 340 pounds, a frame built for life in the SEC trenches. The projection is defensive tackle, and it is easy to see why both Texas and Tennessee are invested here.
For Tennessee, Mays remains part of a 2027 class that currently has 19 commitments and ranks No. 21 nationally. The group is led by five-star running back David Gabriel Georges, and Mays is one of seven commits in the class who hold at least four-star status on 247.
In Other News...
Tennessees Auburn Game Will Look Very Different At Neyland
Saturdays matchup with Auburn is going to have a different look at Neyland Stadium, and Tennessee has leaned all the way into the throwback feel. The Volunteers announced they will wear the Neyland Legacy version of their Smokey Grey alternates, a uniform set built around historical touches like a leather-style helmet, stencil number font and other nods to Gen. Robert Neyland and his impact on the program and the stadium that bears his name.
The field will carry the theme, too, with a vintage interlocking UT logo at midfield in place of the usual Power T. It is the kind of game-day detail that gives an already significant SEC matchup a little extra atmosphere, especially with ESPN carrying the broadcast and Neyland Stadium serving as the backdrop for a tribute that ties the present-day Vols to one of the most important figures in school history. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Got A Faizon Brandon Scare At The Worst Time
Tennessee breathed easier after Faizon Brandon took a scary hit to his throwing shoulder against Texas, because the freshman quarterback was checked by medical staff, cleared to return and then finished the game. For a team trying to keep its season on track, the timing of any quarterback concern could hardly be worse, especially with the Volunteers heading into another SEC test.
Brandons status only looked better when Tennessee released its initial SEC Student Athlete Availability Report for Auburn and his name was not on it, a strong sign the staff expects him to be available. Josh Heupel also said Brandon was healthy and ready to play, which should calm the immediate worry, even if the episode served as a reminder of how quickly the position can change for a young quarterback. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Walks Into A Tennessee Team With Something To Prove
After a few years apart, Auburn and Tennessee are back on the same field with a little more edge to the matchup than a routine early-season SEC game usually carries. For Tennessee, it comes at an awkward moment after a loss to Texas, a game that exposed some real questions on offense and defense even as the Volunteers found a few encouraging flashes on special teams. The timing makes this one feel less like a return of old rivals and more like a chance for Tennessee to reset before the league schedule settles in.
Auburn arrives with its own stake in the conversation, and the Tigers have enough recent momentum to make this more than a nostalgic reunion. Alex Golesh has Auburn playing with purpose, and Byrum Brown gives the offense a capable pilot as they walk into Knoxville looking to prove they belong in the SEC picture. For Tennessee, the challenge is simple enough to say and hard to solve: clean up the issues from last week, protect home field, and make sure a revived rivalry does not become the backdrop for another uneasy afternoon. [Read more 🡒]