The case for Tennessee making a real jump in 2026 starts with one simple idea: the Vols are being treated like a team with more holes than they actually have.
That doesn’t mean everything is settled in Knoxville. The quarterback situation is still the biggest question hanging over the offense. But the rest of the roster, and especially the pieces around that position, give Tennessee a much stronger foundation than the outside noise suggests.
A year ago, the Vols reached the College Football Playoffs behind a defense that was better than the one Tennessee rolled out last fall, plus a run game powered by SEC Player of the Year Dylan Sampson. Then came the drop-off. Josh Heupel responded by overhauling the defense, moving on from Tim Banks and bringing in Jim Knowles, who is described here as the best defensive coordinator in the sport.
That alone would be enough to make Tennessee worth a closer look. But the offense has its own reasons to believe.
Aaron Torres pointed out in a recent tweet that the SEC seems to be sleeping on the Vols. His argument is hard to dismiss: Tennessee won eight games in a “down” 2025, finished with the No. 1 scoring offense in the SEC with a first-year quarterback, returns a 1,000-yard rusher, brings back elite receivers, four offensive linemen, and added one of the best defensive coordinators in the game.
The running game should again be a major strength. DeSean Bishop is back after rushing for nearly 1,100 yards last fall, and the source material calls him one of the best returning players in the nation at any position. He’ll run behind a veteran offensive line that should help both him and whoever wins the quarterback job.
That quarterback race is the one thing keeping the conversation from getting louder. Faizon Brandon could be the answer, and the source makes the point that a five-star freshman having success would not be out of line. Bryce Underwood did it at Michigan, and JKS did it at Cal.
And Tennessee has more than enough around that position to make it work. Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley give the Vols two elite wide receiver options, which matters even more if the quarterback is young. The offense, in other words, has a lot more going for it than the uncertainty at the most important spot.
Defensively, the reset is just as important. The Vols are in a much better place coaching-wise than they were at this point a year ago, and the linebacker room is described as one of the best in the country.
The middle of the defensive line is solid, the secondary has improved, and the run defense is stout. Edge remains a concern, but the overall picture is far more encouraging than it was before the changes.
So if Tennessee does end up making a playoff push, it won’t come out of nowhere. The ingredients are already there. The rest of the conference may be overlooking them, but the path to a big 2026 is sitting right in front of the Vols.
In Other News...
DeSean Bishop Just Weighed In On Tennessees Future Backfield
DeSean Bishops place in Tennessees backfield is already secure in the present, but the conversation around the future is getting interesting. The All-SEC running back said he would be open to sharing carries with a highly ranked 2027 recruit, a reminder that the Volunteers are trying to keep their roster balanced between immediate production and the long view. Bishop also made clear that his own focus is on the current season, even as NFL aspirations remain part of the bigger picture.
For Tennessee, the appeal is obvious: adding another elite back would only deepen a position group that already has a proven centerpiece. But the path to making that happen is still unresolved, with the recruit weighing his options and Bishops own long-term timeline far from settled. If both sides end up aligning, the Volunteers could be looking at a backfield that is built to last, but for now it remains one of those recruiting and roster questions that hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Power Shift Talk Should Have Mississippi State Fans On Edge
The SECs long-running frustration with the college sports setup is no longer just a background grumble. Commissioner Greg Sankey said the leagues leaders are openly discussing the possibility of breaking away from the NCAA structure, a sign of how much pressure has built around Congressional legislation, NIL transparency and the College Football Playoff format.
Sankey also made clear that a clean split is not the first choice, even with the SECs recent run of success across sports and its standing as the sports most powerful league. For schools like Tennessee, the bigger issue is what happens if the national system keeps stalling, because the more the SEC feels boxed in, the louder the power-shift conversation is likely to get. [Read more 🡒]
What Tennessee's Media Days Picks Could Signal About Vols Leadership
SEC Media Days opens Monday in Tampa, and Tennessees delegation offers a first look at which voices the program wants front and center heading into the 2026 college football season. Josh Heupel will be there, of course, but the player trio of DeSean Bishop, Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander is the part that stands out, especially with Bishop and Carter projected as important pieces for the Vols.
Telanders selection is the one worth watching a little closer. Tennessee has plenty to sort out before fall, and the choices it makes for a stage like this can say as much about the locker room hierarchy as any offseason depth chart. When Heupel and the three players speak in Tampa, the Vols may not reveal much outright, but they could offer a useful hint about where the team sees its leadership and linebacker room headed. [Read more 🡒]