All for Tennessee
Fansided

4 Tennessee players who exceeded expectations in the thrashing of Syracuse

Talk about performances to remember for these playmakers.
ByBraulio Perez|
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) puts on the Old Leather Hat after the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025.
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) puts on the Old Leather Hat after the Aflac Kickoff Game between the Volunteers and Syracuse held at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on August 30, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
2 of 4

3. CB Colton Hood

Over on defense, we've of course got to show love to cornerback Colton Hood, who also made his UT debut. With Jermod McCoy still recovering from his torn ACL, Hood stepped in as the leader of the CBs room and he didn't disappoint. In the first half, he made a ton of noise with his fantastic scoop and score TD.

Hood was at the right place at the right time, which was awesome for him. Imagine suiting up for your new team for the first time and then also scoring - it led to Tennessee fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium going absolutely wild. It was no doubt a moment that Hood is going to cherish for a long time. His family will too.

In some unfortunate news for the Vols, Rickey Gibson III suffered an injury against the Orange and he's going to be out for an extended amount of time. The pressure is going to be on Hood to keep playing at a high level, but something tells us he'll deliver there for Heupel and DC Tim Banks. The Colorado transfer will be ready to live up to the challenge.

Coming up next: The ground game took off

Home/Vols Football