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
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
2 months ago
