Steve Sarkisian didn’t waste much time stirring the pot after Texas’ 20-17 win over Tennessee in Knoxville.
Just two days after the Longhorns knocked off the Vols, Texas officially extended an offer to Tennessee defensive line commit Christian Mays, a 6-5, 340-pound JUCO standout from Northeast Mississippi Community College. The move immediately became a talking point, especially with the timing landing so soon after the No. 1 team in the country left Knoxville with a win.
Mays has been committed to Tennessee since June 6, and he’s already stacked up 21 offers in his recruitment, with Texas, Georgia and several other major programs in the mix. For now, he says he’s locked in with the Vols, but a fresh offer from a powerhouse like Texas is never something to brush off.
That’s especially true for Josh Heupel and his staff because Mays is no ordinary commit. He’s ranked as a four-star prospect and the No.
2 JUCO player overall, and Tennessee views him as the biggest defensive playmaker in its ’27 class. Right now, Heupel has 19 commits in that group, which sits at No. 21 nationally in the 247Sports Composite.
For Tennessee, the real concern is whether Texas can get Mays on campus for an official visit this fall. If that happens, the Longhorns will have a real shot to make this interesting.
For a while, it looked like Mays would simply ride things out and make it official with Tennessee during the Early Signing Period. Texas has now put itself in the conversation, and that’s the part the Vols have to watch closely. This could end up meaning nothing by December, but it could also turn into another frustrating development for Tennessee with Sarkisian and the Longhorns involved.
In Other News...
Texas Had To Address A Tennessee Celebration Vols Fans Wont Forget
Texas left Neyland Stadium with a hard-earned 20-17 win over Tennessee, but some of the attention afterward centered on behavior rather than the final score. Head coach Steve Sarkisian met separately with Colin Simmons and Raleek Brown to address celebrations that crossed the line, including the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Simmons drew after a touchdown. For a road win that already carried plenty of weight, it became clear the postgame conversation had to include discipline as much as execution.
Sarkisian made clear he was not brushing it off, especially with Simmons viewed as a potential first-round NFL draft pick and expected to carry himself accordingly. The message was about professionalism and setting a standard moving forward, the kind of correction that can linger long after the scoreboard is forgotten. Tennessee fans may not have liked the result, but they certainly noticed the celebration, and Texas had to answer for it. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Gave Vols Fans A New Respect Debate
Tennessees narrow 20-17 loss to top-ranked Texas at Neyland Stadium left the Vols with the kind of mixed review that tends to linger. The defense and special teams did enough to keep the game tight, but the offense never fully found its rhythm, and that imbalance showed up again when the latest 247Sports SEC poll landed after Week 4.
Georgia claimed the No. 1 spot, Texas settled in at No. 2 and Tennessee slid to No. 8, a drop that adds another layer to the ongoing respect conversation around the program. Florida and Mississippi State made noticeable climbs, while Texas A&M and Ole Miss also moved down, but for Tennessee the bigger question is how much a close battle with the nations top team actually changes the conference view of the Vols. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Gets A Charged Auburn Test After One Ugly Wake-Up Call
Tennessee gets back on the road Saturday, Oct. 3, and the timing of Auburn could hardly be more instructive. Both teams are 3-1, and for Josh Heupels group, the trip comes with a quick chance to reset after the offense sputtered in the loss to Texas, a game that forced the head coach to talk openly about what needs cleaning up.
Champions Weekend adds another layer to the afternoon in Auburn, with Tennessee honoring past championship teams and individuals while the current roster tries to restore some momentum. The Vols do not have much margin for another clunker this early, and this matchup should say plenty about how quickly Heupels offense can respond to the wake-up call it just got. [Read more 🡒]