Tennessee
Titans, Bengals Linked to Intriguing QB Trade
The Tennessee Titans need to find an answer at quarterback, as it’s looking more and more like Will Levis is not the answer for the future.
Yes, Levis played some solid football for a stretch this season, but he was recently benched in favor of Mason Rudolph, perhaps sealing his fate.
So, what will the Titans do under center?
The clearest path to landing a franchise quarterback would be drafting one, but Tennessee may not be in a position to land Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward in April. Could that means the Titans may explore a trade?
Justin Melo of Titan Sized thinks so and feels that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning could be an option for Tennessee during the offseason, noting that Titans head coach Brian Callahan served as Browning’s offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.
“Browning showcased the ability to execute the Zac Taylor and Callahan offense,” Melo wrote. “[Joe] Burrow’s backup is under contract for next season, but the Titans shouldn’t have too much difficulty working out trade compensation should they decide to travel that route. If Carthon and Callahan prefer to avoid making a lucrative investment, Browning would make some sense.”
With Burrow having the quarterback position locked down for the Bengals, Browning won’t get an opportunity to start in Cincinnati, barring an injury.
Remember: last year, Browning replaced an injured Burrow midseason and was very impressive, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 70.4 percent of his passes and posting a 98.4 passer rating over nine appearances and seven starts.
The 28-year-old played his collegiate football at Washington and went undrafted, but he eventually made his way to the Bengals’ practice squad in 2021.
Browning has clear talent and should be able to start somewhere, and Tennessee could represent a perfect destination for the Folsom, Ca. native.
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Tennessee
Four-star 2026 defensive back Justin Hopkins narrows list to 12, including Tennessee football
Ensworth defensive back Justin Hopkins included Tennessee football among his final 12 schools in a social media post Wednesday.
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound four-star cornerback listed the Vols along with Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Duke, Missouri, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Iowa, Ole Miss, Auburn and West Virginia on his X account, formerly known as Twitter.
He’s the No. 9-ranked prospect in Tennessee and No. 18 nationally at corner for the class of 2026, according to 247Sports Composite.
Hopkins also holds offers from Cincinnati, UConn, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Purdue, Toledo, UNLV and Western Kentucky.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel guided the Vols to a College Football Playoff berth as one of the 12 teams in the newly expanded field. Heupel has had success securing some of the state’s top recruits in recent years, including Brentwood Academy quarterback George MacIntyre, Hopkins’ teammate, defensive tackle, Ethan Utley as well as Baylor wide receiver Joakim Dodson, Jefferson County offensive lineman Nic Moore and Sheffield wideout Radarious Jackson.
Hopkins helped guide Ensworth to an 11-1 record that included a trip to the TSSAA Division II-AAA state semifinal game. He finished the 2024 season with 42 receptions for 705 yards and seven touchdowns. Defensively, he added 16 tackles, two for a loss, seven pass break-ups, two interceptions and a defensive TD.
Reach sports writer George Robinson at georgerobinsontheleafchronicle.com and on the X platform (formerly Twitter) @Cville_Sports.
Tennessee
Tennessee man held on $1M bond after Adair County fatal crash
COLUMBIA, Ky. (WBKO) – One of two men charged in a fatal crash in Adair County last weekend remains jailed on a $1 million cash bond.
Joel Hammack, 46, of Crossville, Tennessee, appeared in court Monday morning for arraignment, where he pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol.
The crash, which occurred Dec. 21 near Adair Elementary School in Columbia, involved two vehicles. Several individuals were injured, and a child was killed.
In court, Hammack reportedly expressed remorse, telling the courtroom, “I am sorry for all this. I am. I am truly sorry,” according to the Adair Community Voice.
Police who detained Hammack at the scene found three open beer containers in his truck. He was arrested and taken to TJ Samson Hospital in Columbia, where a blood test was administered.
Hammack, who has at least three prior DUI convictions in other states over the past decade, is set to appear in court again on Dec. 30 for a preliminary hearing. If the judge determines probable cause exists, the case will proceed to a grand jury for possible indictment.
A public defender has been appointed to represent Hammack.
Copyright 2024 WBKO. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
Urban Meyer gives blunt response to Tennessee fans turnout at Ohio Stadium
Tennessee fans showed up to Columbus Stadium over the weekend for the First Round of the College Football Playoff, the Volunteers certainly didn’t meet expectations when taking the field against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Despite a massive representation of Tennessee orange in the crowd, Ohio State dismantled the Volunteers, defeating the SEC program by a score of 42-17 — but it felt like even more of a blowout than that. Regardless of the result, former Buckeyes leader Urban Meyer was surprised by the takeover of fans from Knoxville, even going as far to say he was alarmed by the development.
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“First time I’ve ever seen that in that stadium. A little alarmed by it,” Meyer proclaimed, via The Triple Option. “But the Buckeyes came out, what was it, 42-10? It was worse than that.”
While it certainly was a surprising turn of events, the result was still the desired one for the Buckeyes. Now, their fanbase can focus on gearing up and making the trip for the Rose Bowl in the Quarterfinal of the CFP.
Moreover, the high turnover of Tennessee fans actually made Ohio State’s domination of the Volunteers more impressive to some pundits, including Paul Finebaum. He made sure to heap some praise on the Buckeyes after their eye-opening performance.
“What I was so impressed with was the resiliency of Ohio State.” Finebaum stated, via SportsCenter. “They heard the noise, especially from the pundits, like me, about Ryan Day’s future and they blocked it out. That was what was so impressive. They just went right to it. Tennessee is a good football team but you wouldn’t have known it last night because Ohio State beat them in every facet of the game — except one. Tennessee actually did the most trash talking coming in. They had almost 35 or 40 percent of the fans. It did not make any difference because of what Ohio State did on the field.
“Credit to Ryan Day. He blocked it out as well. He did not let it get to him. The Michigan loss was nowhere to be found and now they have a chance, again, to make a run.”
The job certainly isn’t finished for Ryan Day and the Buckeyes, and the road only gets more difficult from here. With the Oregon Ducks on the docket, Urban Meyer and the rest of Ohio State’s incredible fanbase will be roaring when New Year’s Day rolls around.
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