The Tennessee football team has a lot of uncertainty, but also a lot of optimism coming into 2026. The Vols hired Jim Knowles, one of the best defensive coordinators in football; plus, they added plenty of win-now talent on defense. Josh Heupel's offense was good last year, and they return most of their major production, except for at quarterback.
Looking at the bigger picture, the uncertainty surrounding who will be the Vols QB1 is giving fans and the media a lot of pushback on the ceiling of the 2026 Vols team. One of the biggest media names in the sport, Fox College Football Analyst Joel Klatt, said, “It’s so strange to see these giant brands who want to play at that level, Alabama and Tennessee, going with inexperience. I don’t know if there is any way that those two teams, those two programs are not underachieving next fall, just simply based on that.”
Fox Sports CFB Analyst Joel Klatt says he does not see a way that Tennessee overachieves in 2026:
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) March 11, 2026
Klatt addressed Tennessee’s quarterback situation while giving his “most intriguing spring storylines” on The Joel Klatt Show on Tuesday.
“It’s so strange to see these giant brands… pic.twitter.com/RPexUpUdvF
Joel Klatt thinks Tennessee will underachieve in 2026
If we're keeping it real, I don't think it's fair to make a claim like this or make a claim that Tennessee will be great without seeing the quarterbacks throw in spring practice. Either way you slice it, it’s nearly impossible to have a truly nuanced, balanced conversation about Tennessee’s quarterback room right now. Right now, it's a three-horse race between George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon, and Ryan Staub. At this point, which means almost nothing, I'd give MacIntyre the edge based on his experience in the system, but it's still so early that it's meaningless.
Spring practice will give media members like Klatt much more clarity, and Vols fans, about how Tennessee's quarterbacks look. If the Vols have a capable option, I see no reason why they can't be a playoff contender. Even if Tennessee can get average quarterback play, it still can compete for a College Football Playoff spot. The team around the starter is that good.
Knowles' defenses usually take time to really succeed, but the Vols have a lot of talent on that side of the ball. Plus, bringing back DeSean Bishop, Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews, and Ethan Davis, Tennessee has a lot of options that will make whoever is the starter's life much easier.
This Tennessee team is polarizing because the margin of error is very large with what happens at quarterback.