When you think of Tennessee football, the first name that comes to mind is Peyton Manning. During his time at Tennessee,Manning threw for 89 career touchdowns in Knoxville and finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1997. He still holds numerous Tennessee quarterback records and remains the face of the program.
To no surprise, Manning went on to have a phenomenal NFL career, cementing himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. His 2013 season with the Denver Broncos is widely regarded as one of the best seasons ever by a quarterback.
The obvious replacement for Chaz Coleman is clear for Tennessee
Now, Manning's nephew, Arch Manning, is the starting quarterback at Texas Longhorns, creating a unique dilemma for Peyton. During the Manning Passing Academy, he was asked who he would be rooting for when Texas visits Tennessee in late September. Manning responded, "I love my university, but nothing is more important to me than my family."
I asked Peyton Manning about 9/26, when Texas travels to Knoxville to play Tennessee. Who will Peyton root for?
— Chris Gordy (@ChrisGordy) June 26, 2026
Manning says, “I love my university… but nothing’s more important to me than my family.” @LockedOnSEC pic.twitter.com/SkISiTkPfS
Tennessee-Texas should be a marquee matchup
Honestly, who can blame Peyton here? Arch is his nephew and the starting quarterback for Texas, so it's understandable why he'd support him. If there were one team Peyton would want to see beat Arch, it would probably be Tennessee. Overall, Manning has been an incredible ambassador for the Volunteers program and has earned plenty of goodwill from the fanbase. He's a Vol for life, and while he has made it clear that he loves Tennessee unconditionally, family comes first, and it's hard not to respect that.
Looking ahead to the matchup, Tennessee opened as a seven-point underdog, as Vegas suggests the Volunteers are not far off from a preseason top-five caliber Texas team. The biggest challenge will be Tennessee’s young quarterback, whoever wins the starting job, being able to perform against a Texas defense under Will Muschamp that is widely regarded as one of the best in the country.
Tennessee’s defense, now adjusting to Jim Knowles’ new scheme, will also be tested by a veteran Texas offense led by Arch Manning, a projected first-round NFL Draft pick. He’ll be throwing to what many consider the best wide receiver group in the country, featuring Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo.
Overall, opening SEC play against Texas is no easy task for the Vols, but if Tennessee can pull off the upset, it would be a major win for the program and could put them in the driver’s seat for a potential College Football Playoff berth.
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