Tennessee
After a season of blunders and hurt QBs, why is the Tennessee Titans’ O-line still so bad?
HOUSTON — With blood crusting over the open wound on his left elbow and a bandage spread across the back of his left hand, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill joked that he felt a little bit like Keanu Reeves’ John Wick character at the end of one of his movies.
Which John Wick movie? Tannehill says it doesn’t really matter. John Wick gets beat up pretty bad whenever he’s on screen.
Tannehill knows the feeling.
After this year especially.
The veteran quarterback took a beating in the Titans’ 26-3 loss Sunday to the Houston Texans, Tennessee’s third straight loss and seventh in nine weeks. He was sacked five times, and he played barely half of the game. Rookie Will Levis had to exit in the second quarter with a foot injury after he was obliterated on a sack that turned into a fumble and a Texans touchdown.
In two games against the Texans just 14 days apart, the Titans (5-11) allowed 13 sacks and 23 quarterback hits. The 62 sacks allowed for the year are already the second-most in franchise history, and the most in any season since the club moved to Tennessee.
When asked if there were instances where he had no realistic chance to make a play because of the situation he was in, Tannehill answered with brutal honesty.
“Yeah,” he said. “Definitely.”
So what’s actually wrong with the Titans’ offensive line?
The Titans seem pretty certain they know what the problem isn’t.
“It’s definitely not for a lack of effort,” right tackle Dillon Radunz said.
“It’s not a lack of effort,” left guard Peter Skoronski said. “Guys are working.”
“We know what’s going on on the inside,” left tackle Andre Dillard said. “We’re trying to grow and learn from everything that we experience.”
So what’s left? There’s awareness. There’s scheme. There’s execution. And there’s ability.
Awareness didn’t seem to be a problem Sunday; the only penalty called against the Titans’ front was an illegal substitution. So there weren’t any costly holds or false starts, and none of the sacks came from unaccounted-for blitzers.
Which leaves scheme, execution and ability, and it’s tough to separate those. Take rookie John Ojukwu, the sixth lineman who checked in as an eligible receiver 18 times. He was the one veteran who Jerry Hughes blazed past on the sack where Levis got hurt. Speaking with The Tennessean after the game, Ojukwu said he just needs to get into his pass blocking set more quickly to prevent mistakes like that from happening.
Is there anything more the Titans could’ve done to help Ojukwu, Dillard, rookie Jaelyn Duncan or any of the other struggling blockers schematically? Yes and no. Titans coach Mike Vrabel conceded the team probably could stand to chip a little more on third downs or keep an extra blocker in a little more often. But that creates all sorts of other problems.
More blockers means fewer players running routes. When defenses are in zone coverage, fewer routes means less favorable matchups. Which means receivers are less likely to get open quickly. Which means quarterbacks have to hold on to the ball longer. Which defeats the purpose of the extra blockers to begin with.
Running the ball more effectively would help; the Titans averaged only 2.5 yards per carry on 21 carries Sunday. Getting Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears going should free up the play-action passing attack. But the fact that the backs are struggling also could be a product of the offensive line struggles.
Radunz said the line takes full responsibility for the seven plays inside the Texans’ 10-yard line where the offense failed to score a touchdown. And heck, there was a play earlier in the game where the Titans snapped the ball directly to Henry behind seven offensive linemen and two tight ends and he couldn’t even get back to the line of scrimmage.
Henry, for what it’s worth, refused to put any blame on the offensive line. He said everyone needs to be better, himself included. But it’s obvious the season-long struggles are weighing on the guys tasked with opening holes for him.
Why isn’t anything working?
Dillard is tied for the NFL lead with 12 sacks allowed despite playing little more than half of the snaps of the player he’s tied with. He was benched for the third time this season after allowing sacks on back-to-back plays toward the end of the first half, and he was candid about the struggles.
“Surprised? It’s not a happy feeling. I’ll say that,” Dillard told The Tennessean when asked if he’s surprised the effort isn’t leading to better results. “It’s complicated. Obviously we want to do well. We’re not going to give up on that. We’re not going to give up on trying to grow.”
Dillard is one to stay off the internet. He doesn’t read what people are saying about him or his teammates. Doesn’t see value in it. The only opinions that matter, he says, are the ones in the meeting rooms and on the practice fields with him.
But two of those people are Levis and Tannehill. And for the third time this season, the line had to watch as one of their quarterbacks limped off the field after a hard hit and couldn’t return.
“As an offensive lineman, seeing a quarterback be injured is sort of gut-wrenching,” Skoronski said. “It’s like nails on a chalkboard. You never want to see that. It really sucks to be honest with you. We have nobody to blame but our unit.”
It’s enough to ask what all of this effort the players are talking about actually looks like. Dillard said the struggles aren’t as black-and-white as some outside observers may think, and issues that crop up on Sundays aren’t always what they seem. But he said he didn’t see value in expanding on what goes on the other six days of the week.
Some of his teammates did. It’s watching extra film. It’s fundamental work. It’s working on sets and punches and profiling rushers. It’s bonding exercises to build chemistry.
It’s a lot of work. And it’s a lot of work that isn’t exactly paying off when it counts.
Duncan said it didn’t look or feel like the Texans did anything different this time than they did 14 days ago. That’s a tough reality to accept, especially because they played without top edge rusher Jonathan Greenard Sunday. The Texans lined up and did the same thing twice in three games and the Titans had no answers either time.
“We have to be able to protect the quarterback,” Vrabel said. “The numbers are the numbers. You have to be able to protect the quarterback if you want to throw the football in this league.”
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
Tennessee
Answering Tennessee Football’s Burning Questions Less Than 100 Days Until Kickoff | Rocky Top Insider
We’re less than 100 days until Tennessee football meets Furman to open the 2026 season inside Neyland Stadium. As the team meets for summer workouts in Knoxville, there are some serious questions with strong implications still unanswered, though.
Here’s the latest on the answer to each burning question revolving around the Vols.
Who leads Tennessee’s quarterback battle?
Josh Heupel won’t name a starting quarterback until much closer to the start of the season, if not into the season itself, with an FCS game to open the year. The reason is he wants to see how each player develops over the summer and into training camp after receiving hands-on instruction from the coaching staff during the spring.
However, all the buzz is currently around five-star true freshman Faizon Brandon. Multiple college football insiders have given him the leg up entering the summer after he showed up to campus with a college-ready frame and strong understanding of Heupel’s offense.
The battle is far from over, though. Redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre will have a say as he pushes to take the reins of the offense after sitting behind Joey Aguilar and Jake Merklinger last season. Colorado transfer Ryan Staub will also get reps as he looks to emerge.
I think if you asked Heupel who the quarterback will be next season, he’d truthfully say he doesn’t know, though. It’s still a completely open competition as we gear up for fall camp at the beginning of August.
More From RTI: Tennessee Football’s First Three Games Officially Have Set Kickoff Times. Here’s What They are.
Will Chaz Coleman play for the Vols?
As spring camp progressed, Tennessee was without one of its key transfer portal pickups. Chaz Coleman, a highly-touted edge rusher from Penn State, began to miss practices and ultimately did not play in the annual Orange and White Game.
Now, it’s being reported that Coleman is not on campus for the start of voluntary workouts. We’ve seen missing practices and workouts be the end of tenures at UT in the past, as well. It was the final straw for Nico Iamaleava before he entered the portal in the spring of 2024, and Boo Carter missing workouts led to punishment before he transferred during the 2025 season.
It’s not a cut-and-clear case with Coleman, though. There’s still a chance he can work his way back into the fold for Tennessee this upcoming season, but there is plenty of work to be done. We’ll ultimately have to wait and see, but confidence is beginning to dwindle.
Either way, this now means Tulane transfer Jordan Norman is going to have to play a significant role this upcoming season and is a name to watch during fall camp.
How has the team adapted to the new big-name coaches?
This offseason, Tennessee added two significant coaches to its staff. To replace Tim Banks at defensive coordinator, Josh Heupel went out and got Jim Knowles. To revamp his strength program, he hired Indiana’s Derek Owings.
So far, it seems like both additions have gone very well. Knowles has a tough job in front of him, but he retooled the defense at multiple positions through the transfer portal. The linebacker room seems very strong, and he added talent to the secondary, but the defensive line will be interesting to watch.
Overall, it seems like the team has responded well to what Knowles and his staff are trying to implement on that side of the ball, though.
In the weight room, Owings has seemingly turned things around. Players don’t only look bigger, but plenty have talked to the media about how they feel faster and stronger already during spring camp. That impact could be one that goes under the radar but is felt in a big way this year.
Fingerprints of enslaved person found in brick at Blount Mansion
Fingerprints of enslaved person found in brick at Blount Mansion
Knoxville News Sentinel
Much to-do is being made of America’s 250th birthday, as well it should.
But did you know June 1 is Tennessee’s 230th birthday?
It was on June 1, 1796, that President George Washington signed a bill granting Tennessee immediate admission as the 16th state. Gov. John Sevier was chosen to lead the new state, and Knoxville was picked as its first capital.
A decade before, settlers west of the Appalachian mountains had sought admission to the union for the state of Franklin. But despite four years of existence, Franklin never gained federal approval.
Tennessee’s first official state constitution – drafted by 55 delegates in Knoxville in 1796 – is on display at the Tennessee State Library and Archives.
It was drafted in the home of William Blount, which still stands on West Hill Avenue in downtown Knoxville.
Tennessee actually has three state constitutions: the first, adopted in 1796, a revision adopted in 1834 to update the taxation and court systems, and the 1870 constitution, adopted after the Civil War.
The 1870 constitution permanently abolished slavery in Tennessee and remains the state’s fundamental charter.
Celebrate Tennessee’s birthday in Knoxville
Marble Springs State Historic Site, home of Gov. John Sevier, will have a two-day free party for Tennessee’s Statehood Day.
Tennessee Field Day for kids (or kids at heart) is noon-5 p.m. May 29 and Statehood Day is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 30. Field Day explores history through many aspects and activities, and Statehood Day focuses more on lectures, demonstrations, music, line dancing and food.
The historic buildings and learning center are at 1200 W. Gov. John Sevier Highway in Knoxville.
Look back at how Tennessee was founded
1785-1789: Settlers establish independent systems of government and petition to become a state, but they fail to gain recognition for the state of Franklin. The territory is again under the control of North Carolina.
1789: North Carolina ratifies the United States Constitution and cedes its Tennessee lands to the federal government. It is designated as the “Territory of the United States, South of the River Ohio,” more commonly known as the “Southwest Territory.” William Blount is appointed by George Washington to be governor. Early governance of the territory is focused on making treaties with Native Americans, securing settlers from attacks and encouraging settlement. Warfare with Native American tribes increases through the 1790s.
1792: Knoxville is selected as the capital of the Southwest Territory.
January 1796: Gov. William Blount calls for a constitutional convention in Knoxville to begin the process of joining the Union. The delegates form an organized government and constitution before applying to Congress for admission to the Union. The delegates select John Sevier as governor, William Blount and William Cocke as senators and Andrew Jackson as representative.
June 1, 1796: Tennessee becomes the 16th state in America. Knoxville remains the capital until 1812.
1812: Tennessee earns its nickname “The Volunteer State” during the War of 1812 because it sends 1,500 volunteer soldiers.
1812-1816: Nashville is Tennessee’s capital.
1817-1818: Knoxville is Tennessee’s capital again.
1818-1826: Murfreesboro is the capital of Tennessee.
1826-present day: Nashville becomes – and remains – the capital of Tennessee.
The Tennessee Volunteers are constantly getting players in the MLB and the MILB farm system, which is the developmental program that all rookies and young players (a.k.a. prospects) start off in. One of the players who has been in the farm system since being drafted is Nate Snead, who was with the Tennessee Vols just last season as a pitcher, and one of the better pitchers on the Tennessee roster.
Nate Snead is one of the better players to come through the Tennessee program as a reliever, and he is one of the better pitchers when it comes to his fastball, as he throws what many would confirm to be “gas.”
Nate Snead Gets Called Up
Snead was in Single-A to start his career, but he is now on his way up, as he is moving up to Double-A after a great start to his career. He is heading to the Rocket City Trash Pandas, which is an affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels. This would mean he is in the same farm system that both Christian Moore and Ben Joyce recently had to come through, and is one of the better players in the farm system for the Angels, anyway.
He currently holds an ERA of 2.80, which is great considering he has pitched 35.1 innings. He holds a win-loss record of 3-3, and also has a total of 39 strikeouts, which would mean he is averaging more than a strikeout every inning he pitches. He is also giving up less than a hit an inning, which is where he should be in order to get called up.
This decision doesn’t seem rushed, and it doesn’t seem that this is going to backfire. He will likely finish his season in Double-A, although a great stretch could lead to him being fast-tracked to Triple-A, the final team before the majors.
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