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Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert Previews Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee

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Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert Previews Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee


Vanderbilt football heads to Knoxville this weekend as 2.5-point underdogs as it looks to take down Tennessee on the way to its first 10-win season in program history. Taking down Josh Heupel’s 8-3 team will be a tall task of sorts, though.

Vandy on SI caught up with Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert to discuss the matchup and what the Commodores are up against over the weekend. Here’s what Schumpert says in regard to this weekend’s matchup.

Clark Lea

Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores head coach Clark Lea congratulates Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel on the win during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

1. How much does Tennessee still have to play for? 

As far as this season and its postseason implications, very little. A nine-win regular season with a chance to earn a 10-win season in a bowl game is certainly nice but hard to believe that is much of a motivating factor for players. We wondered what Tennessee’s interest level and motivation would look like last week at Florida and the Vols came out and played inspired football and turned in their best performance of the season. The rivalry aspect and chance to end Vanderbilt’s College Football Playoff hopes should be enough to motivate this team. If not, Diego Pavia’s offseason comments should help.

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Diego Pavia

Nov 30, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs (53) hits Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (2) as he passes the ball during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

2. Tennessee has yet to win against a ranked opponent, is that indicative of its talent level? What else do you attribute that to? 

I don’t think I’d attribute it to the talent level. Tennessee’s schedule has played a part. The Vols have only played three ranked teams and they’re all ranked in the top 10 and projected to make the playoffs if they take care of business this weekend. But Tennessee had chances to win all three of those games, especially home matchups against Georgia and Oklahoma. The Vols have struggled to play complimentary football this season. The Vols failed to put the Georgia game away with a touchdown off of a fourth quarter fumble that set them up in plus-territory. The defense didn’t get the stop to seal the game and Max Gilbert misfired on the potential game-winning kick. Against Oklahoma, Tennessee turned it over three times in the first half and trailed 16-10 at halftime despite allowing only 99 yards of offense. This Tennessee team certainly isn’t extremely talented but they’ve also hurt themselves consistently in their three losses.

Joey Aguilar

Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar (6) helps direct the band in celebration after the win over Florida in an NCAA college football game on November 22, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. / Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

3. Has Joey Aguilar met expectations, exceeded them or fallen short? 

Overall, Aguilar has exceeded expectations. Most didn’t know what to expect from the Appalachian State transfer after a rocky 2024 season in Boone and his summer arrival in Knoxville. But he looked comfortable in Josh Heupel’s offense from the jump. Aguilar has thrown the ball well down the field and in the intermediate. He also possesses a much better internal clock than Tennessee’s last two starting quarterbacks. Where Aguilar has met expectations and struggled is with turnovers. He came to Tennessee with the reputation as a turnover prone quarterback and that has reared its ugly head at times. Aguilar’s thrown 10 interceptions this season which doubles the previous Heupel-era season-high. He’s also fumbled it a handful of times.

Tennessee Volunteers Football

Nov 22, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman Jaxson Moi (51) and linebacker Arion Carter (7) tackle Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

4. What are the strengths and weaknesses of Tennessee’s defense?

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The most obvious area is in the secondary where Tennessee’s top two returning corners have played just 19 snaps this season due to injury. Colorado transfer Colton Hood and true freshman Ty Redmond have done a solid job stepping it but it’s definitely been a step back. Tennessee’s safety play has often been woeful this season. Tennessee’s run defense struggled badly early in the season and gap integrity was a key deficiency, something Vanderbilt will be able to exploit. But the run defense has been much better the last month. The Commodores will test it more than most have the back half of the season though. Over the course of the season, Tennessee’s pass rush has probably been its biggest strength. They’ve had a knack for making big plays in big moments.

Tennessee Volunteers

Nov 22, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Desean Bishop (18) celebrates after they beat the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

5. What do you view as the main keys for Tennessee in this game?

Winning on early downs on defense is a big one because of the success of the pass rush and the way Vanderbilt seems to excel in third-and-intermediate and third-and-short. Another big one is for the offense to just play clean football. I think they’re going to be able to move the ball on Vanderbilt’s defense. Can they avoid turnovers, drive killing penalties and finish drives with touchdowns?

Diego Pavia

Tennessee defensive back Will Brooks (35) stops Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) during the second quarter at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

6. Score prediction?

Tennessee 31, Vanderbilt 27

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Tracking every Tennessee Titans pre-NFL draft visit for 2026

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Tracking every Tennessee Titans pre-NFL draft visit for 2026


The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away, which means it’s time to start paying extra close attention to the Tennessee Titans’ moves and visits.

In the weeks leading up to the NFL draft, teams are allowed to bring up to 30 prospects to their facilities for visits with coaches and executives, on top of the meetings coaches, scouts and executives can hold with prospects on college campuses after pro days.

Pre-draft meetings aren’t everything; seven of the nine players the Titans drafted in 2025 never took reported visits or meetings with the team prior to being picked. But touch points like these are interesting looks into the team’s thought process as far as which positions need to be evaluated and which players merit closer looks.

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Based on player comments, social media posts and national reports, here is a running track of which players have visited or are expected to visit with the Titans, sorted by player rank in the consensus player rater.

Tennessee Titans NFL draft 2026 visits tracker: Which best draft prospects available are talking with the Titans?

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (No. 4 prospect)

Love visited the Titans’ facility shortly after the conclusion of his impressive showing at the NFL combine, according to posts he made on social media.

Rueben Bain Jr., DL/Edge, Miami (No. 7 prospect)

Bain told CBS Sports following his Miami pro day workout that he had a visit scheduled with the Titans. Bain also met with the Titans at the NFL combine.

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Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State (No. 9 prospect)

Tate told reporters after Ohio State’s pro day that the Titans are among the five teams he has scheduled visits with. Other teams picking in the top 10 who have Tate on their radar include the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns, New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.

Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU (No. 10 prospect)

Per a report from Ryan Fowler, the Titans scheduled a visit with Delane, the consensus pick for the top cornerback in this draft class.

Makai Lemon, WR, Southern Cal (No. 14 prospect)

The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner as college football’s best wide receiver, Lemon has a visit scheduled with the Titans, per a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M (No. 32 prospect)

Concepcion, an impressive field stretcher out of Texas A&M, told reporters at his pro day that the Titans are one of six teams he has scheduled meetings with. Concepcion is considered a fringe first-round pick who might be gone or might be ripe for the picking when the Titans use their second-round pick at No. 35.

Caleb Banks, DL, Florida (No. 35 prospect)

Banks told reporters after Florida’s pro day that he had a visit scheduled with the Titans, along with visits to Kansas City, Baltimore, Detroit, Arizona, Denver, Atlanta and the Chargers.

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Treydan Stukes, CB, Arizona (No. 65 prospect)

Stukes told Sports Illustrated that he took a meeting with the Titans, putting him on the radar as a potential third-round pick candidate.

Tristan Leigh, OT, Clemson (No. 271 prospect)

Leigh, a three-year starter at left tackle for Clemson, has visited with the Titans, per a report from Fowler.

Travis Burke, OT, Memphis (No. 354 prospect)

Burke is a bottom-of-the-draft offensive lineman prospect who visited with the Titans, per Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at  nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.



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What we learned as Vanderbilt baseball sweeps Tennessee for first time since 2013

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What we learned as Vanderbilt baseball sweeps Tennessee for first time since 2013


For a Vanderbilt vs Tennessee baseball rivalry already full of lore, the Commodores added a unique chapter with their weekend series at Hawkins Field.

Vanderbilt (17-12, 5-4 SEC) won all three games via walk-off: 3-2 win in 10 innings on March 27; 6-5 in 16 innings on March 28, and 16-15 on March 29. The final game ended with an “ultimate grand slam” by Tommy Goodin while down three in the bottom of the ninth inning to sweep the 21st-ranked Vols (18-10, 3-6).

The three games were all different, with the opener being a pitchers duel between Connor Fennell and Tennessee’s Brandon Arvidson and Tegan Kuhns. The second game was a marathon in which each team had one five-run inning. In the third game, pitchers on both sides were still feeling the effects of the previous game as Vanderbilt won a high-scoring shootout.

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“Emotionally, that’s probably going be my biggest concern,” coach Tim Corbin said. ” . . . It’s a lot of baseball. But I think the strength is these kids are young. They’ve got a day to get back, kind of get their body back a little bit, to stay away from here. There’s a ripple effect that takes place from playing three games, emotionally draining and tough games.”

Here’s what we learned.

Vanderbilt’s offense comes through when it needs to

Vanderbilt this season has often struggled to get the big hit, constantly leaving runners stranded. This weekend, the Commodores were able to come through with timely hits. Brodie Johnston recorded eight hits in the series, including a home run, while Ryker Waite had two doubles and a home run among his four hits.

Different players came through in every big situation. In Game 1, Logan Johnstone had the walk-off single. In Game 2, Mike Mancini and Ryker Waite both hit home runs and Mack Whitcomb had the walk-off squeeze bunt. In Game 3, Johnston and Rustan Rigdon hit home runs, while Johnstone, Chris Maldonado and Whitcomb each had a pair of RBIs.

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Vanderbilt hit for plenty of power, too, with four doubles and six home runs in the series. The Vols had three doubles and two homers.

“It was a wild series,” Corbin said. “Polarizing, no doubt, felt that way, too. I think that’s why it becomes very emotional, because you have periods of not moving the ball and periods of moving the ball. So always comes down to timely hits, doesn’t it?”

Vanderbilt finds bullpen contributors

With six pitchers injured, including Austin Nye, who is out for the season, Vanderbilt has struggled to get production out of its bullpen. While that group was up and down throughout the series, the Commodores got significant production out of a few arms they hadn’t in the past.

In Game 2, freshman Tyler Baird pitched five scoreless innings, walking two and striking out four. Going into the outing, he’d had an ERA of 6.89, with 12 walks in 15⅔ innings, and hadn’t lasted even an inning last week against Mississippi State. Replacing him, fellow freshman Nate Schlote threw three scoreless innings, with two walks and three strikeouts. In Game 3, Jakob Schulz threw 3⅔ scoreless innings, with one walk and two strikeouts.

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“That’s really what it is, you’re pitching for the first few times in the conference, you get tentative,” Corbin said. “(Baird) was tentative against Mississippi State. But I also know that that bus ride was probably a long one for him, and (pitching coach Scott Brown) did a good job of grabbing him right away, like a little small car accident, getting him back in the driver’s seat again to drive, and he did. Made a good adjustment.”

Vanderbilt gets back on track

The Commodores were reeling entering the week. They’d lost five straight games, including getting swept at Mississippi State. There were questions of whether they would even make the postseason.

Now they are in a better spot. With new contributors in the bullpen and the offense stepping up, Vanderbilt can feel better heading to Texas A&M for a weekend series April 3-5.

“I think it’ll be very huge,” Goodin said. “I think this is a very big, big boost . . . This definitely could be a really good turning point for all of us. And, you know, really going in there and playing at the caliber that we play at, just like this, it’s awesome.”

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

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Has Tennessee ever made a Final Four? Vols hope third time’s a charm under Barnes

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Has Tennessee ever made a Final Four? Vols hope third time’s a charm under Barnes


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For the third straight season, Rick Barnes has Tennessee basketball in the Elite Eight. After Sunday, March 29’s game against No. 1 Michigan, he’s hoping to have taken the Vols where they’ve never been before.

Despite becoming a March Madness fixture, the Tennessee Vols have never, in their history, made the Final Four. Despite a pedigree of modest success, including 11 regular season SEC titles and and five conference tournament championships (most recently in 2022), Tennessee has not been able to cross the threshold to college basketball’s most coveted weekend.

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The Barnes era marks the closest Tennessee has come, with consistency, even though its best shot arguably came before Barnes’ time. The Vols’ first Elite Eight trip was under Bruce Pearl in 2010, while Barnes was still roaming the Longhorns bench in Texas.

Barnes has taken Tennessee to the 2024, 2025, and 2026 Elite Eights. There’s an argument to be made 2026 is his most impressive run yet, as a No. 6 seed in the Midwest bracket.

The Vols went as a No. 2 seed in both 2024 and 2025, ultimately losing to the No. 1 seeds of their respective brackets in the Elite Eight. While it could be easy to think it will be more of the same Sunday against No. 1 Michigan, Tennessee has now taken down No. 3 Virginia and No. 2 Iowa State to get to this point. So perhaps one more upset is in store.

Has Tennessee basketball ever made a Final Four?

Tennessee has not made a Final Four in its history, making it one of five SEC schools to not get to the national semifinal round.

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The others are Missouri, Mississippi, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. Alabama basketball made its first Final Four in 2024.

Tennessee basketball Elite Eight record

The Vols are 0-4 in the Elite Eight, with losses in 2010, 2024, 2025, and 2026.

Here’s a look at their full history in the fourth full round of the tournament.

  • 2010: No. 5 Michigan State 70, No. 6 Tennessee 69
  • 2024: No. 1 Purdue 72, No. 2 Tennessee 66
  • 2025: No. 1 Houston 69, No. 2 Tennessee 50
  • 2026: TBD, vs. No. 1 Michigan

Rick Barnes Elite Eight record

Barnes is not just defined by his career at Tennessee. He does have a Final Four appearance, winning his first Elite Eight game with Texas in 2003. Since then, though, he is 0-4 in the Elite Eight, with two losses at both Texas and Tennessee.



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