The Tennessee team Texas A&M will see on November 14 comes with a clear split personality: one side built to light up scoreboards, the other still trying to find its footing. That mix could make the Volunteers dangerous in College Station, especially if the offense hits its stride and the defense takes a real step forward under new coordinator Jim Knowles.
The biggest reason Tennessee has been so difficult to deal with under Josh Heupel is simple - the offense. It has been the engine of the program and one of the most productive units in the country over the last several seasons, and Texas A&M’s defense will have to be ready for that pace and that pressure.
In 2025, Tennessee’s offense was elite across the board in the SEC. The Volunteers finished No. 1 in scoring offense, No. 2 in total offense and passing offense, and No. 8 in rushing offense. They closed the year averaging close to 40 points per game, piling up 466.31 yards per game and scoring 65 touchdowns.
That kind of production has become the norm in Knoxville during Heupel’s first five seasons. Tennessee has set 18 single-season records in that span, and 17 of them have come on offense. The list includes marks for points per game, total offense per game and touchdowns.
But for all that firepower, Tennessee enters 2026 with a major question at quarterback. The battle is between true freshman Faizon Brandon and redshirt freshman George MacIntyre. Brandon arrived as a highly touted five-star recruit in the 2026 class, while MacIntyre spent the 2025 season learning the system.
That gives Tennessee talent, but not much experience. Either way, the Volunteers are likely to lean on a young quarterback, and that matters in a place like College Station. Playing there late in the season is no easy assignment, especially for someone still early in his college career.
The other side of Tennessee’s profile is much less polished. In 2025, the defense was stuck in the bottom half of the SEC in most major categories, ranking No. 13 against the run, No. 14 in total and scoring defense, and No. 15 against the pass.
Heupel responded by bringing in Knowles, who arrives after spending the 2025 season at Penn State and previously coordinating Ohio State’s defense for three years. He was part of the Buckeyes’ national championship run in 2024, and that defense finished first nationally in scoring defense, total defense and yards per play allowed.
If Knowles can bring that kind of production to Knoxville, Tennessee’s ceiling rises fast. A defense that finally holds up its end, paired with the offense Heupel has built, would give the Volunteers a much different look when they arrive in College Station.
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Allens final group includes Texas, Texas A&M and South Carolina, and the Aggies have been viewed as the team to beat in the race. His profile has also drawn plenty of mixed evaluation across the industry, which only adds to the intrigue around where he lands. For Texas A&M, this is the kind of decision that could help shape the rest of the class, and now the waiting game is down to one more summer date. [Read more 🡒]