No. 14 Tennessee (2-0) will play its second game at Neyland Stadium during the 2026 football season on Saturday. The Vols will host Kennesaw State (1-1) at 7:45 p.m. EDT.
SEC Network will televise the matchup. Dave Neal (play-by-play), Cole Cubelic (analyst) and Ashley Stroehlein (sideline reporter) will be on the call.
On Monday, sixth-year head coach Josh Heupel discussed Tennessee playing the Owls in Week 3.
"Looking forward to getting back this week inside our stadium and seeing our fans," Heupel said. "Thank you to all the fans that showed up in Atlanta for the game last Saturday. This will be our Salute to Service game as well, so I want to thank all the men and women that have served, and are currently serving, to protect and give us the opportunity and the freedom that we certainly enjoy. We are welcoming some of the families of the men and women that we're recognizing this weekend, as well.
"Saturday, we got an opportunity to play a good Kennesaw State football team. We have a lot of familiarity with a lot of their staff. Jerry Mack and his staff have done a really good job. I think they've won 12 of the last 14 ball games they've played, so this is an opportunity for us this week to continue to grow and get better as a football team."

#play #saturday #tennessee #state

DaSaahn Brame immediately became one of Tennessee's most important players when tight end Ethan Davis suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
Brame, a sophomore tight end, should make the biggest jump in the depth chart to replace Davis. But others could factor in as the Vols try to retool their offensive plan after losing a valuable player.
Davis suffered the knee injury in the Vols' 45-24 win over Georgia Tech on Sept. 12. Coach Josh Heupel announced on Sept. 14 that he will miss the remainder of the season.
Davis is the fifth UT player to suffer a season-ending injury, joining starting safety Edrees Farooq (knee), backup receiver Joakim Dodson (leg), reserve linebacker Jaedon Harmon (knee) and Miami transfer cornerback Jadais Richard (upper-body).
It's a costly loss. Davis, a senior starter, caught a TD pass in each of UT's first two games. And he's been an effective blocker in the Vols' rushing offense, which ranks sixth nationally.

#vols

Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis is out for the season with an ACL injury, coach Josh Heupel said on Sept. 14.
Davis, a senior, had a good start to the season, catching touchdown passes in each of the first two games. He had three catches for 43 yards. But he will miss the remainder of the season.
Sophomore DaSaahn Brame and South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas will pick up more of the load in replacing Davis.
No. 14 Tennessee (2-0) plays Kennesaw State (1-1) on Sept. 19 (7:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) at Neyland Stadium.
xxx

#tennessee #sept #josh #brame

ATLANTA − Tennessee football played its first road game of the season at Georgia Tech but it sure didn't look that way.
UT fans helped sell out Bobby Dodd Stadium as the No. 18 Vols (2-0) beat Georgia Tech 45-24 on Sept. 12. UT coach Josh Heupel noticed the support from the fans before he stepped on the field to play the Yellow Jackets (0-2).
"We leave our hotel and you see nothing but orange and white on our way here," Heupel said. "From older fans who have been here for a lot of generations to some younger ones who don't know how to tie their shoes yet, you walk into the stadium 60 minutes before kickoff and a majority of the crowd is Tennessee orange. It's pretty special."
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon, making the first road start of his college career, said UT fans gave him and his teammates a distinct advantage when operating the offense.
"It was a lot of orange," Brandon said. "It definitely made things easier. Wasn't too much noise. Definitely got a little rowdy sometimes, but seeing all the orange, it definitely made me proud."

#orange #definitely #brandon #first

ATLANTA − Tennessee football quarterback Faizon Brandon faced some adversity while playing on the road for the first time in his very young college career.
Furman offered little resistance in his first career start but Brandon was challenged in Week 2 at Georgia Tech. His first road start didn't look pretty in the final box score but it was more than enough to get the No. 18 Vols (2-0) to a 45-24 win over the Yellow Jackets (0-2) on Sept. 12 at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
"The stat sheet's not going to be elite. I actually really like how he played the game," UT coach Josh Heupel said. "I thought he was composed, he handled himself in situational football pretty well. First game on the road, 18 years old, handled himself well."
Brandon completed 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was sacked once and added 23 yards on five rushing attempts.
He was particularly inaccurate in the first half, completing only 5 of 15 passes but racking up 106 yards and two touchdown passes. Of his five first-half completions, four went for 15 yards or more and three gained 20 yards or more.

#road #Career #start

ATLANTA — Josh Heupel and Faizon Brandon can rely on Tennessee's defense to carry it through some rough patches — at least to a certain point.
That was apparent in the way the 18th-ranked Vols beat Georgia Tech 45-24 amid a crowd with plenty of orange at Bobby Dodd Stadium on Sept. 12.
Heupel's offense didn't have to light up the scoreboard or stat sheet to win. And Brandon, the freshman quarterback, didn't have to reel off eye-popping highlights for the Vols (2-0) to protect a lead on the road over the Yellow Jackets (0-2).
They just needed to do enough and trust in Jim Knowles, the defensive wiz that Heupel hired as coordinator in the offseason. His squad carried the Vols through some critical lulls.
Knowles' defense scored a touchdown on Dejuan Lane's pick-6. It had another red-zone stop that yielded only a field goal. Jeremiah Telander's interception prevented points before halftime. And the Vols stopped Georgia Tech's rally on fourth down at the goal line early in the fourth quarter.

#vols #georgia #didn 't

Week 1 of the 2026 college football season concluded Sunday for SEC schools.
No. 18 Tennessee (1-0) defeated Furman (1-1), 56-9, at Neyland Stadium to open its football campaign.
"Good start today," Heupel said after defeating the Paladins. "There's a bunch that we are going to need to clean up here in all three phases of the game, but overall pleased with the performance. Defensively, we played extremely well. We don't turn it over, it's probably a shutout. Those guys have grown, worked and competed extremely hard to go play and start the season that way. Proud of the effort there from our staff and our players.
"Offensively, the penalties early in the football game slowed a couple of drives down. After that, I thought we executed at a high level. Quarterbacks played smart and efficient today. All of them did, so good start. A lot to learn from and move on to a big one next week."
Following Week 1, SEC football power rankings and each team's schedule are listed below.

#week #start

Well, that is quite the vote of confidence from the oddsmakers.
The Tennessee Volunteers have had a Week 2 road date at Georgia Tech circled for quite a while on the calendar. The Vols' biggest non-conference game, it's one that could be a true swing game to the season for the Big Orange. It's one that some have circled as interesting and a true potential challenge for Josh Heupel.
But Vegas made a pretty strong statement about the game after the Week 1 results unfolded for both teams. Tennessee opens as a 13.5-point road favorite against the Yellow Jackets.
That's a very big number, and higher than I thought it would be.
I have to wonder how much of that came from the Yellow Jackets' late-game blunder on Thursday against Colorado. Tech led 10-7 and had the ball deep inside Colorado territory first-and-10 with two minutes left. They lost 14-13 on a blocked field goal at the gun in a truly insane final two minutes of the game. But they led for the vast majority of the game and really gave that game away.

#week #quite #road #circled

Tennessee football had just won its season opener and new starting quarterback, freshman Faizon Brandon, was greeting his parents in the north end zone of Neyland Stadium. Wide receiver Braylon Staley was right next to Brandon, endorsing the five-star freshman.
"This is the man right here," Staley said.
UT coach Josh Heupel was also pleased with Brandon's debut, but not surprised by anything he saw.
"I don't think he did anything that surprised me," Heupel said after the 56-9 win over Furman on Sept. 5. "We're just … trusting that what you've seen on the field through the body of work is going to show up on gameday too. But for a young player, he managed and stayed within himself extremely well, which is the expectation."
Brandon dazzled in his first college start, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns and adding 68 yards and two more scores on the ground over less than three quarters of work.

#right

Tennessee football had just won its season opener and new starting quarterback, freshman Faizon Brandon, was greeting his parents in the north end zone of Neyland Stadium. Wide receiver Braylon Staley was right next to Brandon, endorsing the five-star freshman.
"This is the man right here," Staley said.
UT coach Josh Heupel was also pleased with Brandon's debut, but not surprised by anything he saw.
"I don't think he did anything that surprised me," Heupel said after the 56-9 win over Furman on Sept. 5. "We're just … trusting that what you've seen on the field through the body of work is going to show up on gameday too. But for a young player, he managed and stayed within himself extremely well, which is the expectation."
Brandon dazzled in his first college start, throwing for 226 yards and three touchdowns and adding 68 yards and two more scores on the ground over less than three quarters of work.

#brandon #heupel #right #yards

Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon will debut for Tennessee football as the 18th-ranked Vols play Furman in the 2026 season opener on Sept. 5.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET with a sellout crowd at Neyland Stadium. It will be streamed on ESPN+ and SEC Network+.
Brandon, 18, is the youngest starting quarterback in UT history. He'll be surrounded by proven performers like 1,000-yard rusher DeSean Bishop, wide receivers Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley and an experienced offensive line.
Jim Knowles will debut as UT defensive coordinator, along with several transfers on defense. And coach Josh Heupel is vying for his 46th win at Tennessee, which would tie Doug ******* ey for sixth place on the Vols' all-time wins list.
Follow live updates here of Tennessee vs. Furman.

#quarterback #faizon

The Tennessee Volunteers will be honoring Dolly Parton with a helmet sticker this season, coach Josh Heupel announced.
Parton, a Tennessee native, died on Tuesday, Aug. 25 after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80.
"I'd be remiss if I didn't also talk about the passing of Dolly Parton," Heupel said. "All that she's meant across the world, this country, and certainly, the queen of East Tennessee — a lady that was extremely proud of her roots."
The iconic singer grew up in Sevierville, roughly 30 miles east of Knoxville, where the University of Tennessee is located.
"You look at (Dolly's) impact, you know, just her ability to give back, make an impact to people, certainly here in East Tennessee. She means a lot to people across this country," Heupel said. "We'll be wearing a sticker patch on the back of our helmet to recognize her accomplishments and everything that she's meant."

#dolly #meant

How Tennessee football will honor the late Dolly Parton this season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Tennessee football announced plans to honor the late Dolly Parton with a sticker on the back of the Vols helmets during the 2026 season, per coach Josh Heupel.
Parton died on August 25. She was 80.
"All that she's meant across the world, this country, and certainly the Queen of East Tennessee," Heupel said. "A lady that was extremely proud of her roots. You look at her impact, just her ability to give back, make an impact to people, certainly here in East Tennessee. She means a lot to people across this country, but certainly here inside the state of Tennessee, too."
Parton was an entertainment icon who was well-known around the world. But her story started in East Tennessee. She was known for her career as a recording artist, but her philanthropic efforts in recent years never went unnoticed. She was a regular around Tennessee and attended many Vols events.

#tennessee #certainly #heupel

Week 0 has arrived, meaning Tennessee hits the field in just one week. The Volunteers will kickoff the Faizon Brandon era against Furman in a tune up game before things start to get real in two weeks down in Atlanta. Tennessee is a sleeper team according to most, taking a backseat to teams like Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss.
Can the Volunteers force their way into the SEC picture and perhaps make a run at the College Football Playoff? If that's in the cards, they'll have to find answers to these four questions.
The 5-star freshman ran away with the job in fall camp, now it's time to see just how good he can be right off the bat. There's no doubt about his long-term upside under Josh Heupel, but what about the right now? Brandon was praised for making plays down the field in scrimmages, and his athleticism will bring a new element to the RPO and maybe even option game.
It's going to come down to the little things though. The right checks, the right reads, getting through those reads quickly enough and keeping the offensive tempo when Heupel wants to operate with pace. Brandon is sure to make some freshman mistakes, that just comes with the territory. Can he make enough big plays down the field to keep defenses honest and the focus off of DeSean Bishop and the ground game? That's the key to me.
Tennessee's defensive line room has completely transformed in the past couple of seasons after having a bunch of veterans exit the program. It's going to be a new look for Garner's group in 2026, with no more Eason, Moi, Bailey or Josephs to lean on. The torch is being passed to guys like Xavier Gilliam, Nathan Robinson, Tyree Weathersby, Isaiah Campbell, Ethan Utley and several more. Veteran Daevin Hobbs is expected to lead the group and needs to take a big jump.

#right #tennessee

Tennessee football won eight games in 2025, marking the first time it had failed to reach nine victories in a season since Josh Heupel was named coach of the Vols in 2021.
The Vols are set to face four ranked teams this season and a new nine-game SEC schedule while breaking in a freshman quarterback, so reestablishing the nine-win floor Heupel had set for this program won't be easy.
Here are the three games that will define the season for Tennessee football in 2026.
On paper and in the polls, UT looks like the better team and a likely favorite to knock off the Yellow Jackets, even on the road. But first-year quarterback Faizon Brandon will still be an unknown commodity by the time the Vols arrive in Atlanta for their second game.
The Vols host FCS foe Furman in the season opener on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m., SEC Network+, ESPN+). and Brandon shouldn't expect to meet much resistance, nor to play four full quarters in that game. The SEC slate that follows promises to be tougher to navigate, but how Brandon reacts to a road environment at Bobby Dodd Stadium will say a lot about how truly ready he is to lead UT for the remainder of the season.

#brandon #nine #tennessee #first

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The NCAA agreed to reduce Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter's suspension from two games to one over a $427 flight to an NFL training facility during the pre-draft process, Volunteers athletic director Danny White said Tuesday.
White wrote on social media that while he strongly agrees with coach Josh Heupel that the suspension was ridiculous, a one-game suspension for the season opener Sept. 5 against Furman is better than two games — but no suspension would be better in the current environment.
"If players around the country are allowed to leave NFL camps and play college football, the NCAA should do the right thing and drop it all together," White said. "This is yet another example of applying archaic rules from another era, without evolving, and most importantly, putting student-athletes experiences above bureaucracy."
Carter signed with an agent and accepted a flight worth $427.28 while figuring out his draft status. He ultimately withdrew from the draft and returned to Tennessee because of a medical procedure for a foot injury.
The NCAA originally suspended Carter three games, which was reduced after an appeal. The latest reduction means the third-year linebacker and two-year starter will be available when No. 20 Tennessee visits Georgia Tech on Sept. 12.

#draft #flight

Tennessee star linebacker Arion Carter got some good news regarding his two-game suspension on Tuesday.
Carter got his suspension reduced to one game, meaning he's now eligible to play in Week 2 against Georgia Tech. He was originally suspended for three games before an appeal from Tennessee reduced it to two. Now, it's been knocked down to one game.
MORE: NCAA suspends Tennessee star linebacker two games over $427 flight
Tennessee athletic director Danny White released a statement shortly after the news was made official.
"The NCAA has agreed to reduce Arion Carter's suspension from 2 games to 1. While I strongly agree with Josh Heupel's comment about how ridiculous this is in our current environment, 1 game is better than 2," White posted on his X account. "If players around the country are allowed to leave NFL camps and play college football, the NCAA should do the right thing and drop it all altogether."

#games

The 2026 college football season begins this Saturday with an eight-game Week Zero. That leaves just under two weeks before most programs kick off their seasons. Several teams and their head coaches named their starting quarterbacks on Monday in preparation for Week 1.
Alabama named Keelon Russell its starter on Saturday, while other prominent QB competitions at Clemson, West Virginia, Vanderbilt and Iowa still haven't been decided — at least publicly.
Here are several of the QBs who have been named starters for the season.
The Volunteers are making true freshman Faizon Brandon their starting QB. Head coach Josh Heupel told the team of his decision on Monday morning and officially announced Brandon as the starter in an afternoon press conference.
Brandon, 6-foot-4, beat out sophomore George MacIntyre for the position, clinching the decision with his performance in a scrimmage on Saturday, according to On3. A five-star recruit, Rivals ranked Brandon as the No. 3 QB nationally and No. 10 player overall out of Grimsley High School in Greensboro, North Carolina.

#head

Tennessee (2-0) defeated Seattle (0-2), 19-16, on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. 49,194 were in attendance for the preseason Week 2 NFL game.
Two quarterbacks who played for Josh Heupel in the SEC appeared in the game.
Drew Lock started for the Seahawks and completed 12-of-14 passing attempts for 103 yards and one touchdown. He also totaled eight rushing yards on two attempts.
Lock played at Missouri from 2015-18 and was selected by Denver in the second round of the NFL draft in 2019. Heupel served as Missouri's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2016-17.
Former Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker also appeared in the preseason contest for the ****** ans. He completed 2-of-2 passing attempts for 35 yards, while finishing the game with -2 rushing yards on three attempts.

#attempts #yards #played

It's college football's week 0, and while we've still got some time before the Bulldogs kick off, the news from elsewhere is flowing free and fast. Let's take a quick spin around and see what's up.
Alabama has named sophomore Keelon Russell its starting quarterback over senior Austin Mack. It isn't a surprising outcome, as the former five star would eventually take over. But Bama fans are super stoked nonetheless.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on the other hand hasn't named a starter, but appears to be leaning toward freshman Faizon Brandon.Heupel has been saying all the right things publicly about going with the QB who brings the right mix of maturity and leadership to the role. But deep down I think there's something else at play: in the NIL era you can't bring in a multi-million dollar blue chipper like Brandon and afford to sit them on the bench. It's one reason I think Kirby Smart's emphasis on rewarding proven upperclassmen may be the smartest strategy in the NIL era.
Lane Kiffin on the other hand isn't so stoked about his tight end rotation, which is why he's apparently beating the bushes of the NFL for players who are on pro rosters but could come back to college now that a judge in Colorado has decided players in the 2022 class should have a fifth year of eligibility.
Though the buried lede in this story has to be that Kiffin apparently called Todd Monken to talk about whether he could have Monken's rookie tight end, and Monken didn't return his call. That goes on the long list of reasons I like Todd Monken.

#take #isn 't #stoked

No. 18 Tennessee held its second scrimmage during fall training camp on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. Rankings reflect the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.
Sixth-year head coach Josh Heupel recapped the Vols' second scrimmage.
"Good second scrimmage," Heupel said. "Bunch of situational work. Crowd noise like you're on the road. A lot of mechanics, communication, things that did well and some things that, offensively in particularly, learned throughout the course of it. Got to continue to get better at that, but all in all, good work.
"I thought defensively did a good job. Created a couple turnovers. Played ****** ignment sound and, offensively you know, didn't play as clean as we need to. Some of that was communication, but some really positive things there too."
Tennessee will kick off its 2026 football season in 14 days. The Vols will host Furman on Sept. 5 at Neyland Stadium (3:30 p.m. EDT, SEC Network+).

#good #stadium #vols

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel left open the possibility that he could wait until game week to name his starting quarterback, but he's not tipping his hand.
It appears five-star freshman Faizon Brandon leads the competition with sophomore George MacIntyre after the final intrasquad scrimmage of preseason practice on Aug. 22, which was closed to media and the public.
Brandon connected on a deep pass to Mike Matthews and broke a few long runs. But he also tossed an interception and missed some short high-percentage passes.
The scrimmage continued to showcase Brandon's big-play potential as a runner and passer, as well as predictable freshman mistakes.
MacIntyre managed the offense reasonably well. But he tossed an interception that was returned for a touchdown, and he overthrew a deep pass.

#brandon #pass #tossed #tennessee

No. 18 Tennessee held its first football scrimmage in fall training camp on Saturday. Rankings reflect the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.
"Good work today inside the stadium," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said after Saturday's scrimmage. "Scrimmage, a lot of situational football, from special teams to different field zones, offense and defense. A lot of really good work. Some things that, obviously, we got to continue to clean up. Some young guys that did some really good things, but some young guys that got to continue to grow and be ready to play championship level football here as you get ready to play this season.
"A lot of positives, but we got to continue to grow here. A lot of work left here in the next three weeks to get ready to go play."
The Vols have a starting quarterback competition during fall camp with sophomore George MacIntyre and freshman Faizon Brandon.
Heupel discussed Tennessee's starting quarterback competition following Saturday's scrimmage at Neyland Stadium. Everything the sixth-year head coach said is listed below.

#scrimmage #Football

No. 18 Tennessee held its first football scrimmage during fall training camp at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
Sixth-year head coach Josh Heupel recapped the Vols' performance.
"Good work today inside the stadium," Heupel said. "Scrimmage, a lot of situational football, from special teams to different field zones, offense and defense. A lot of really good work. Some things that, obviously, we got to continue to clean up. Some young guys that did some really good things, but some young guys that got to continue to grow and be ready to play championship level football here as you get ready to play this season.
"A lot of positives, but we got to continue to grow here. A lot of work left here in the next three weeks to get ready to go play."
Heupel also discussed Tennessee's starting quarterback competition between sophomore George MacIntyre and freshman Faizon Brandon.

#play

Tennessee and Josh Heupel's coaching staff continue to recruit toward its 2028 football signing class. The Vols have offered a scholarship to six 2028 uncommitted quarterbacks.
Four-star Carter Zingelmann is ranked as the No. 6 overall 2028 quarterback (247Sports). The 6-foot-4, 227-pound prospect is from Coppell High School in Coppell, Texas. The Vols offered him a scholarship on Jan. 23. Zingelmann unofficially visited Tennessee for a spring practice on March 21 and he attended a Vols' camp on June 21.
Four-star Kaden Craft is ranked as the No. 9 overall quarterback prospect in 2028 (247Sports). The 6-foot-4, 210-pound signal-caller is from Lake Norman High School in Mooresville, North Carolina.
Rivals projects Craft to commit to Tennessee. The Vols offered him a scholarship on Jan. 22.
Graham Simpson ranks as the No. 15 overall quarterback in 2028 by 247Sports and is from Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee. The Vols offered him a scholarship on Jan. 10. He is the brother of former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.

#vols

Tennessee opened fall training camp on Wednesday at Haslam Field in preparation for its sixth football season under head coach Josh Heupel.
The Vols held a 17-period individual workout on the first day of fall camp.
"Really good work today on the grass as we start this on-field journey," Heupel said after Tennessee's first practice. "A lot of fundamental work here, early part of training camp. The first couple days, obviously, that continues throughout, but big emphasis on that here today and good to get out there with the guys."
The Vols also have a starting quarterback competition to replace Joey Aguilar from last season.
Early enrollee freshman Brandon Faizon, sophomore George MacIntyre, sophomore Mason Phillips and senior Ryan Staub from Colorado are on roster during fall camp.

#vols #early #season

New faces and inexperience at quarterback, breaking in new receivers or ******* istant coaches, one thing has remained the same for Josh Heupel — the running game is the secret sauce. He's told us that time and time again, and he continues to prove himself correct.
Last year it was DeSean Bishop next in the pipeline, taking the reins from Dylan Sampson. Bishop responded with a 1,076 yard season, scoring 16 times while averaging nearly six yards per carry. The local product and former walk-on took his opportunity and has turned himself into a legitimate NFL prospect, and he's looking for more in 2026.
Bishop is up to 215 pounds, ready to take on the grind of the nine-game SEC slate. He battled through some injuries last season but hopes to be fully healthy for the duration this time around. Bishop is no question heading into the season, but what about what's behind him? Tennessee uses a rotation regardless of who is at the top of the depth chart, so establishing that second and third option is an important key for Josh Heupel over the next few weeks of camp. Knowing the system, operating in tempo and little things like pass protection will all go into making that decision.
Tennessee played three backs last season and that appears to be the plan once again this year. Daune Morris forced his way onto the field in the second half of the season, getting his feet wet in the offense. The sophomore back brings something different to the backfield, offering a little more agility and burst. Morris could bring a little more explosiveness as the workhorse Bishop gets a rest after the first few series.
Morris handled 35 carries for 133 yards last season, although ran behind several mop-up duty offensive lines.

#bishop #tennessee

Oklahoma Sooners quarterback John Mateer has a chance to be the first Sooner quarterback since Josh Heupel in 2000 to win a national championship. This comes after Mateer elected to return to Norman rather than pursue an NFL career.
Mateer had a down year in his first year in Norman. He completed 62.2% of his passes for 2,885 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, while rushing for 431 yards and eight scores. This comes after leading college football in 2024 at Washington State with 44 total touchdowns.
But there is some optimism for Mateer as the Sooners revamped the playmakers around him. It's due to those new players that ESPN's Greg McElroy believes Mateer could be in for a bounce-back season.
"He had to do a lot of it on his own," McElroy said on 'Always College Football.' "The run game last year was not what you were looking for. I mean, Venables even described it as not good. So, they go out and hire a great running backs coach who helped develop Ashton Jeanty and Jeremiyah Love... They upgraded the receiver room with Parker Livinstone from Texas and Trell Harris from Virginia. Remember those two names. I think those two names will be really good."
Mateer's 2025 season showed the challenges of transitioning to the SEC, especially when an offense lacks consistent playmakers around its quarterback. This season should look much different. Oklahoma has improved its running back room, added more weapons at receiver and returns an offensive line that gained valuable experience last season.

#year #mcelroy

Tennessee will kick off its 2026 football season with 11 linebackers on roster.
Senior Arion Carter returns for his fourth season. He will miss two games due to a NCAA violation suspension for a $427.48 flight, which he repaid, during the NFL pre-draft process.
"Arion Carter represents everything that is right about college athletics, dedicating all four years of his career to the University of Tennessee," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. "His high character, loyalty and leadership within our program are unmatched. Last December, Arion declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. He signed with an agent and accepted a $427.48 flight to begin the pre-draft process. He withdrew from the NFL Draft prior to the deadline due to a medical procedure and decided in his best interest to return to Tennessee for his senior season. Last January in good faith, he disengaged from the agent in terms of the NFL and paid back the flight in full.
"We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean's List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can't wait to be on the field with him during training camp next week."
The 6-foot-1, 238-pound linebacker appeared in 23 games, including 13 starts, for the Vols from 2023-25. He has totaled 161 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, 10 pass deflections, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

#draft #season #senior #games

Tennessee said Wednesday that linebacker Arion Carter has been suspended for the first two games of the 2026 season by the NCAA after he repaid an agent for a flight he took during the NFL's pre-draft process.
Carter explored entering the 2026 NFL Draft before deciding to return for his senior season. As he was looking at entering the draft, an agent paid for a $427 plane ticket. After Carter suffered an injury while working out before the draft, he returned to school and paid for the flight.
However, the NCAA deemed the initial payment of that ticket by the agent to be a Level III violation because players and their families are not allowed to take material benefits from agents, including transportation. And a spokesperson for the school told the Knoxville News Sentinel that Carter had actually been suspended for three games before it was reduced down to two.
"We disagree with the NCAA's ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall," Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said in a statement. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean's List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can't wait to be on the field with him during training camp this week."
Carter was Tennessee's third-leading tackler in 2025 despite missing three games because of a foot injury that flared up as he was looking to turn pro. He had 76 stops and six tackles for loss across 10 games. He'll miss the team's Week 1 game against Furman and its Week 2 matchup vs. Georgia Tech.

#carter #draft