A season that once had so much promise for the Tennessee Vols has ended in the worst way possible. On Tuesday night, the Vols suffered a heartbreaking 30-28 loss to Illinois, with a last-second field goal stealing the win away from UT.
Josh Heupel challenges Tennessee football after heartbreaking loss to Illinois
Illinois' David Olana drilled a short kick as time expired, coming up in the clutch for his teammates when they needed him. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Max Gilbert earlier in the contest, as he missed a 39-yarder that would have made a huge difference for the Vols.
We don't want to blame this loss on Gilbert alone - that's not the case. However, the once-reliable kicker failed multiple times for Tennessee this season in key situations. Is it time for some competition to be brought in to push him for the job? We think so.
Max Gilbert’s missed kick makes all of the difference yet again.
— THE VOLUNTEER (@ALLVOLNEWS) December 31, 2025
Tennessee must bring in a new kicker to push Max Gilbert for the starting job
Again, we don't want to go after Gilbert too much here, but normally a 39-yarder would be a chip shot for him. Instead, his attempt to put the Vols up 10-7 didn't connect, leaving three crucial points off the board. Who knows how things would have played out had the ball sailed in between the uprights.
This feels like deja vu, as it of course wasn't the first missed kick off the season for the righty. Everyone still remembers the loss to Georgia, as Gilbert had a chance to win things late in the action. Instead, the moment proved to be too big for him, with his kick sailing wide.
As soon as Gilbert kicked the ball, it was clear it wasn't going to be good. Georgia went on to win that game in overtime in Knoxville, which was a devastating result for the Vols. Gilbert has a job for Tennessee and that's to be trustworthy in these kinds of spots.
After being Mr. Reliable for this team and drilling some big-time kicks, 2025 was no question a frustrating year for him. He needs to get his mind right and fast. However, head man Josh Heupel needs to look at his options once the portal opens. Gilbert can't fully be trusted for 2026 - we hate to admit it.