After a rough Monday for Josh Heupel, missing out on some top quarterback targets, Tennessee football has received some very good news, making sure two of the top young players on the roster are going to be back in 2026.
Tennessee’s QB room still feels the impact of Nico Iamaleava’s spring exit
Pete Nakos of On3 dropped two bombs on Tuesday, announcing that SEC Freshman of the Year Braylon Staley and linebacker Edwin Spillman will be back next fall.
Tennessee WR Braylon Staley has re-signed with the Volunteers for the 2026 season, he tells @On3.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) January 14, 2026
The 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year finished 6th in the SEC with 806 receiving yards and 67.2 receiving yards per game.https://t.co/2wB0mYNtHo pic.twitter.com/srQCvw7i6t
Tennessee LB Edwin Spillman has re-signed a deal to return to Knoxville in 2026, sources tell @On3. https://t.co/akTY4KWaRX pic.twitter.com/9DaJ8Os4yN
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) January 13, 2026
Braylon Staley and Edwin Spillman are back in 2026
This is an excellent development for Heupel, as some fans have lost faith in him after a mediocre 2025 and some Transfer Portal recruiting misses. Braylon Staley was one of the best freshmen in the nation regardless of position in 2025. He had 68 receptions for 837 yards and six touchdowns last fall. He was a matchup nightmare all season long, tearing up top defenses. He broke out against the SEC champions, Georgia, racking up nine balls for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Edwin Spillman, an in-state product from Nashville, had a stellar redshirt freshman year, too. The SEC All-Freshman team member had 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, two passes defended, and an interception. Spillman is a downhill linebacker with good football acumen. He is a physical player who tackles well and will surely be the anchor for Jim Knowles' defense next fall. Pairing him with Amare Campbell from Penn State will surely pay dividends soon enough.
Inking deals with both of these talented young stars is a great sign for the program's future. Tennessee has had some recruiting misses in the portal that seem bigger than they are, but overall, Heupel has done a solid job of reconstructing the roster for 2026.
It's worth mentioning that the Vols brought in a top 10 recruiting class in 2026, too. Don't be surprised if a few true freshmen like Tristen Keys, TJ White, and Brayden Rouse see the field next year. The future of Tennessee football is very bright. Heupel needs to land a quarterback, and once that happens, the Vols will truly be in business.