With fall camp starting to take off a little for Tennessee and Josh Heupel, it's safe to assume that a ton of focus is on the newcomers. At quarterback, Faizon Brandon is impressing with the zip on his passes, as he's hoping to make a claim for the job. Elsewhere on offense, fellow 5-star true freshman Gabriel Osenda is also turning heads for all the right reasons.
Just like Brandon, Osenda graduated early and originally turned heads during spring ball. Now that he's back in Knoxville ahead of the regular season, he's standing out for two important reasons. At the top of the list, which you'll be able to see below, Osenda looks like a monster in the trenches, with his size being eye-opening. Secondly, he's getting reps at both right tackle and left tackle, which speaks to his versatility.
David Sanders Jr. helping coach up freshman tackle Gabe Osenda ⬇️ @RockyTopInsider pic.twitter.com/KzBlRWB3yE
— Ric Butler (@Ric_Butler) August 6, 2026
5-star Gabriel Osenda making noise at Tennessee camp for 2 huge reasons
Originally, a lot of us envisioned Osenda to be a stout left tackle for the Vols, but you've got to remember that David Sanders, another former 5-star prospect, has that job locked down, and he's not going to be giving it up anytime soon. With that, Osenda could certainly be considered a quality backup for Sanders at LT, but he's not going to be warming the bench for long.
Right at the start of camp, Osenda shared the news that he's going to be getting work in at both tackle spots, which is fantastic. Should Josh Heupel need him to step into action during a game at right tackle, the fact that he's getting important practice reps in now will help him do so. And with his familiarity at left tackle, he can give Sanders a spell too whenever needed.
When Osenda signed with the Vols last December, he did so ranked as the No. 5 offensive tackle in the country. He was a superstar for the Baylor School in Chattanooga. If that program sounds familiar, it's because it's the same high school the new 5-star commit David Gabriel Georges attends. Osenda no question helped play a role in the Vols pulling off that massive recruiting win.
Osenda was locked in with the Vols for quite some time, and despite Georgia and others working to flip him, he knew in his heart he wanted to suit up for Heupel. Now that he's on campus, Osenda is wasting no time in reminding everyone why he was such an elite playmaker in high school and why he has a bright future in the SEC.
For now, Ory Williams is the projected starter at right tackle, while Jeremias Heard is also a lineman to keep an eye on. With that said, you've got to love the fact that the staff is putting the trust in Osenda to suit up at multiple different positions to get needed experience in before Week 1 gets here. We could look back on this being the right call from Heupel, especially with Osenda having the tools and size to excel at both.
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