The Tennessee Vols regressed last fall, going 8-5 after making a College Football Playoff run in 2024, before losing to the eventual national champions, Ohio State. Tennessee had a mixed bag, no doubt, as they didn't beat an FBS team with a winning record, but they also were a missed field goal away from knocking off the SEC champions, Georgia.
2026 will be a fun year for Tennessee, hands down, with all the firepower on offense and Jim Knowles running the defense. Let's get bold even if it's very early, because why not?
1. DeSean Bishop is a 1st Team All-SEC selection
Bishop ran for almost 1,100 rushing yards last fall and made a significant jump from what he was in 2024. He was 2nd Team All-SEC in 2025, but in 2026, I see a path for him to be on the 1st team.
If Joey Aguilar is not able to play, Tennessee will most likely have a freshman quarterback starting. To make life easier on them, Heupel will most likely look to establish the run game with Bishop. The thing that makes Bishop so good is he is productive in big games, and rush with a lot of patience to find the hole and get gains. Bishop could be in for a huge 2026.
2. Tennessee's defense is in the top-50 in yards allowed per game
Tennessee averaged giving up 412.3 yards per game last fall, which ranked them No. 100 in the country. This might sound very bold, but I think Jim Knowles can get this group into the top 50.
Yes, his system usually takes a couple of years to fully set in, but Tennessee also has a surplus of high-quality transfers from his last stop, Penn State, and they bring back some really good players like Ty Redmond, Arion Carter, and Edwin Spillman. Tennessee had a focus to bring in a lot of talent via the Transfer Portal on defense, so it could take some time for everything to mesh, but I really do believe the defense will be a strong unit next season.
3. Ethan Davis turns out to be a stud
Ethan Davis had the strongest finishes to 2025 out of anyone in Tennessee. This year, he will be expected to be the starting tight end, and the Vols have high expectations for the former four-star tight end.
Davis, an uber athletic tight end, had 5 catches for 62 yards against the best defenses in the nation last year, Oklahoma, and then had 5 receptions for 72 yards and a touchdown against Florida, and then capped off the year with 7 catches for 85 yards against Vanderbilt. It would not be the least bit shocking to see Davis have a breakout year next fall; he's flashed that much potential in his early playing time at Tennessee.