It's about time some positive injury news came in for Tennessee football, especially with a tough road showdown against Mississippi State up this weekend. In the season-opener, standout defensive lineman Jaxson Moi went down with an elbow injury and he's been out ever since.
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There's no doubt at all that not having him out on the field against Georgia in Week 3 was a huge loss for the Vols. Who knows how things would have turned out had he been healthy. Moi was also out for Week 4, but all signs are pointing to him being ready to rock for Week 5 in Starkville:
Tennessee DL Jaxson Moi is expected to be available this weekend against Mississippi State, barring a setback, sources tell @clowfb and I for @On3sports.
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) September 24, 2025
The 6-2, 307-pound DL has been sidelined since the season opener.
More Tennessee injury updates: https://t.co/1GLfLQ2p1d pic.twitter.com/bgeeDhbQpU
Tennessee DL Jaxson Moi is expected to play in Week 5 against Mississippi State
Welcome back, Jaxson. On the official injury report, Moi is listed as probable, but again, all signs are pointing to him being able to play. We don't have to tell you that his return is going to be key for the Vols and defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
When the betting line opened up for this dance, Tennessee was a double-digit favorite, but the spread has since dropped to 7.5 points. Vegas thinks this game is going to be a bit closer than a lot of us imagined and it's certainly a meeting that Josh Heupel and Co. can't overlook.
Elsewhere on defense, All-American cornerback Jermod McCoy is inching closer to his return, but he won't be in action against the Bulldogs. Per Pete Nakos, McCoy is looking to suit up and make plays for Heupel for the Oct. 11 matchup against Arkansas.
That's a bit longer of a wait than fans were hoping for, but it will give him a game under his belt before Tennessee's highly-anticipated showdown against Alabama on Oct. 18. The Tennessee-Alabama tilt will have major College Football Playoff implications and the Vols will need to be at their best.
Tennessee is taking things one game at a time, with all the focus on Mississippi State for this upcoming Saturday. Joey Aguilar and the offense will be clicking like usual and the defense as a whole will be happy to know that Moi will be back in the trenches playing with passion as well.