Tennessee
Mulling Tennessee playoff game while waiting on David Sanders to sign
Tennessee got good news in the College Football Playoff picture and on national signing day this week.
But it’s hoping for much better news on both fronts in the coming days. Penn State losing and David Sanders signing could help with that.
On this week’s podcast episode of “The Volunteer State,” UT beat writer Adam Sparks and columnist John Adams break down the Vols’ final scenarios in the playoff, including who they’ll play and where. And they look back on the win over Vanderbilt that earned UT’s way into the 12-team bracket.
Plus, a review of signing day raises some big questions. Will Sanders, the No. 1 offensive tackle in the 2025 class, sign with the Vols? And what’s the future hold for blue-chip quarterback George MacIntyre?
To hear the full discussion, listen to the podcast. But here are a few highlights.
Will David Sanders sign? Will George MacIntyre start after Nico?
If Sanders signs with Tennessee, as expected, he should compete to play immediately. If something goes awry in his signing, it would be a major loss to the Vols, and their only consolation would be a bigger budget to spend NIL money on transfers.
Nevertheless, UT needs to sign Sanders sooner than later.
As for MacIntyre, Sparks believes he’ll follow the path of other highly-rated quarterbacks under Heupel. He’ll eventually earn the starting job or transfer elsewhere. Tayven Jackson, Nico Iamaleava and Jake Merklinger have faced that same situation.
Could Penn State fall in CFP and play Tennessee?
Tennessee’s last hope of hosting a College Football Playoff game depends on a blowout in the SEC or Big Ten title games.
But even if those blowout losses occurred, the CFP selection committee might not drop the losing teams behind Tennessee in the rankings. There’s probably a greater chance that a championship game loser falls in the rankings but only changes Tennessee’s opponent.
No. 2 Texas (11-1) plays No. 5 Georgia (10-2) in the SEC championship game on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ABC). No. 1 Oregon (12-0) plays No. 3 Penn State (11-1) in the Big Ten championship game on Saturday (8 p.m., CBS).
Adams thinks the likely scenario is that Tennessee plays Penn State in the first round. Adams and Sparks discussed the likelihood of other scenarios.
Have Vols turned the corner just in time for playoff run?
Iamaleava played his best SEC game in the Vols’ 36-23 win over Vanderbilt.
Does that mean he’s turned a corner? Maybe.
Sparks said Iamaleava has gained confidence and comfort in the offense, and he’s playing at a higher level. But UT fans should be cautiously optimistic, keeping in mind Vanderbilt’s pass rush was almost nonexistent against Iamaleava.
Sparks and Adams believe Tennessee can win at Ohio State or Penn State or certainly against either team at Neyland Stadium, if it got a home game. But the matchup won’t be easy. Both Big Ten teams tout a strong defense.
Again, to hear the full discussion, listen to this episode of “The Volunteer State.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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Tennessee
Vols Make Splash Hire With Jim Knowles | VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Tennessee Football | The RTI Low Down | Rocky Top Insider
On this week’s episode of The RTI Low Down, Bob Baskerville and Chris Low are diving into a huge week for the Tennessee Football program.
The guys start the show by discussing the Vols’ big move to fire Tim Banks and the splash hire in acquiring defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Bob and Chris are then joined by VFL and SEC Legend Kevin Burnett to talk about his time on Rocky Top, his thoughts on playing under defensive coordinators, Josh Heupel’s current team, and more.
The guys close down the show by breaking down Tennessee’s 2026 schedule, Vol Hoops’ tough test on the hardwood this week, and much more. Download and subscribe TODAY!
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The RTI Low-Down is brought to you by the Tate Insurance Group. Find out more information at www.tateinsurancegroup.com
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More from RTI: Tennessee Football 2025 Transfer Tracker – Who has Announced They’re Entering the Portal So Far
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YouTube –
0:00 Intro
8:30 Tennessee Fires Tim Banks, Hires Jim Knowles
21:25 VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Vol Football!
43:20 UT 2026 Schedule
50:17 Tennessee Basketball Faces Huge Test on Tuesday
1:01:06 Close
Tracking the opt outs for both Tennessee and Illinois before the Music City Bowl on December 30 (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville:
Tennessee
Linebacker Arion Carter: Carter over the last seasons had 96 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 31 career games. He had a team-high 76 tackles this season, with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while appearing in 10 games. He missed two games and was limited against Oklahoma in November while dealing with turf toe injuries. Carter had 68 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games last season and 17 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in eight games as a freshman in 2023.
Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II: He a breakout senior season in his second year with the Vols, catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 19 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, after transferring from Tulane. In 15 games at Tulane he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Brazzell is ranked No. 7 at wide receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft Big Board. He’s ranked No. 34 overall on ESPN’s list of the best available prospects in the draft.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy: Did not play this season after tearing his ACL during offseason training in January. He was a star last season with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.
Illinois
Offensive Tackle J.C. Davis: Bret Bielema said the Illinois starting left tackle is opting out of the Music City Bowl. He was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the league coaches this season and the No. 3 left tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus grades. He had made 49 straight starts before opting out of the bowl game.
EDGE Gabe Jacas: The Illinois outside linebacker declared for the NFL Draft on Friday night. He led the Big Ten this season with 11.0 sacks. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles in 12 games this season. He finishes second in Illinois program history for career sacks, with 27.0, trailing only Simeon Rice. Jacas had 74 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss last season, after combining for 8.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons at Illinois.
Vols Make Splash Hire With Jim Knowles | VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Tennessee Football | The RTI Low Down | Rocky Top Insider
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