- Linebacker is Tennessee’s biggest strength: The Volunteers enter 2026 with PFF’s No. 7 linebacker unit, led by Edwin Spillman, Amare Campbell, Jeremiah Telander and Arion Carter.
- The pass rush needs new contributors: Tennessee lost its top six players in pressures from 2025, leaving Jordan Norman as the only returning player who recorded more than 15 pressures last season.
- Quarterback remains unsettled: True freshman Faizon Brandon and redshirt freshman George MacIntyre are competing to lead Josh Heupel’s offense.
After making the College Football Playoff in 2024, Tennessee took a step back last season, finishing 8-5. The defense was largely responsible for the decline, falling from third nationally in EPA per play in 2024 to 81st in 2025.
That led Josh Heupel to fire defensive coordinator Tim Banks and hire Jim Knowles away from Penn State. Tennessee enters 2026 with an ongoing quarterback battle between true freshman Faizon Brandon and redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, but the winner will be surrounded by an extremely talented offense.
Notable Transfer Portal Additions
- LB Amare Campbell (Penn State)
- S T.J. Metcalf (Michigan)
- ED Jordan Norman (Tulane)
- CB Qua Moss (Kansas State)
- OT Ory Williams (LSU)
Notable Transfer Portal Losses
- OT Lance Heard (Kentucky)
- ED Jordan Ross (LSU)
- CB Rickey Gibson (Texas A&M)
- S Kaleb Beasley (Louisville)
- ED Caleb Herring (South Carolina)
Biggest strength: Linebacker unit
Tennessee boasts our No. 7 linebacker unit in the country, led by a solid returning group of Edwin Spillman, Amare Campbell, Jeremiah Telander and Arion Carter. The Volunteers also added TJ White, a top-five linebacker recruit in the 2026 class.
Biggest question mark: Which pass-rushers step up?
Tennessee’s lack of proven pass-rushers is its biggest question mark outside of the unsettled quarterback situation. The Volunteers lost their top six players in pressures from last season, leaving Tulane transfer Jordan Norman as the only player on the roster who recorded more than 15 pressures in 2025.
Norman, Tyree Weathersby, Daevin Hobbs and several others will need to step up and generate pressure for a unit that had made the pass rush a major strength over the past few seasons.
Quarterback: Faizon Brandon
After Joey Aguilar lost his eligibility battle, Tennessee was left with a quarterback competition between redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon. MacIntyre has spent a year in Josh Heupel’s system but took just nine dropbacks last season. Brandon was the No. 3 quarterback recruit in the 2026 class and is the better athlete of the two.
Whichever quarterback can execute Heupel’s core concepts more consistently should win the job and will have the benefit of playing with a very talented supporting cast.
Offensive Player Spotlight: RB DeSean Bishop
Bishop took over as Tennessee’s lead back as a redshirt sophomore and delivered a terrific season. The former walk-on ranked second in the SEC with 16 rushing touchdowns, while his 1,076 rushing yards and 649 yards after contact both ranked fourth in the conference.
He was particularly effective on gap runs, averaging 7.0 yards per carry on those plays.
Defensive Player Spotlight: CB Ty Redmond
The Volunteers needed someone to step up at cornerback last season in Jermod McCoy’s absence, and true freshman Ty Redmond did exactly that. He tied for the SEC lead with nine pass breakups while also recording three interceptions.
Redmond’s 81.6 PFF coverage grade ranked second among SEC cornerbacks with at least 200 coverage snaps, trailing only eventual first-round pick Mansoor Delane. His size and length create significant problems for opposing receivers, and he is poised for another big season as Tennessee’s top cornerback.
Bottom Line
If Jim Knowles can turn Tennessee’s defense around and the Volunteers get capable play at quarterback, they have the talent to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026.
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