2026 Mid Summer

[DowsaTV]

I put this together, hope this helps get ya through July a little way

2026 Vols Mid Summer

2026 Projected depth Chart

Offense	1st Team	2nd Team
QB	George MacIntyre	Faizon Brandon
RB	Desaun Bishop	Duane Morris
WR	Mike Matthews	Jaokim Dodson
WR	Braylon Staley	Radarius Jackson
WR	Tristan Keys	Travis Smith
TE	Ethan Davis	DaSaahn Brame
RT	David Sanders Jr.	Ory Williams
RG	Wendell Moe Jr.	Gabriel Osenda
C	Sam Pendleton	Nic Moore
LG	Shamurad Umarov	Donovan Haslam
LT	Jesse Perry	Jeremias Heard
Defense
DT	Daevin Hobbs	Xavier Gilliam / Isaiah Campbell
DT	Nathan Robinson	JJ Finch / Charles House III
DL	Jordan Norman	Ethan Utley
EDGE	Tyree Weathersby	Christian Gass / Mariyon Dye
LB	Arion Carter	Jeremiah Telander
LB	Amare Campbell	Edwin Spillman
S	TJ Metcalf	Tre Poteat III
S	Qua Moss	Jadais Richard / DJ Burks
S	Edrees Farooq	Dejuan Lane
CB	Kayin Lee	Jadais Richard
CB	Ty Redmond	Isaiah Hardge
Special
FG	Cooper Ranvier	Josh Turbyville / Grady Dangerfield
KO	Josh Turbyville	Grady Dangerfield
LS	Bennet Brady	Blake Howard
P	Jackson Ross	Josh Turbyville / Logan Foley
KR	Duane Morris	Ian Duarte / Braylon Staley
PR	Joakim Dodson	Daune Morris / Isaiah Hardge

QB
Loaded with 5 star talent, 3 springs and falls, no gameday experience, Redshirt Frosh and true Frosh
RB
Elite starter, 1 great back-up, 1 good back-up, one unproven
TE
Elite starter with a highly talented yet unproven back-up
WR
Loaded with no name, hungry, high stars
OL
One of the most mature offensive lines in the country (Top 3 with GA and TX), returning four out of five starters from a unit that only lost 5.5% of its total pass-blocking snaps last season. Collectively, the group enters the season with an impressive 101 career collegiate starts
LB
Absolutely Loaded and deep
Sophomores Jadon Perlotte and Jaedon Harmon and Freshmen TJ White and Brayden Rouse are elite and not listed with the 2 deep
CB
Proven and talented but not deep, only 3 hard hitters
S
Like CB, Solid, Proven and talented but only 5 hard hitters
DL
First team proven and elite, losing Chaz is bad, depth becomes a problem. Freshman Breeze Carter, Hezekiah Harris, Carter Gooden, are all consensus 4-stars, and Zach Groves is 4-star in one ranking, none are not listed in the 2-deep.
FG
Cooper Ranvier, All-ACC kicker who transferred to Tennessee after spending two seasons at Louisville

Conditioning
Derek Owings, Director of Football Sports Performance, the highest-paid strength coach in college football history at $1.2 million per year.
Total Muscle Gained: The team has added a collective 870 pounds of muscle
Total Fat Lost: The roster shed a collective 220 pounds of fat
33 different players on the roster have gained 11 pounds or more of pure muscle in just a five-month span
Owings brought Josh Huff with him from Indiana as the Director of Applied Performance Science to actively track individual player data, GPS top-end speeds, and in-season velocity drop-offs
Ranked 3rd Behind Georgia and Alabama

Nutrition
Katie O'Connor from Kansas as the Director of Football Nutrition
O'Connor has redesigned the program around custom fueling plans. Staffers inside the player dining hall (Smokey’s) actively monitor food choices and recovery macro-intake daily

Roster
107 Total players

2026 Tennessee Football Schedule

Game Date	Opponent	Location	W/L
Sept. 5	Furman	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Lock W
Sept. 12	@ Georgia Tech	Atlanta, GA (Bobby Dodd Stadium)	Tough road game but Ga Tech has 2 new coordinators
Sept. 19	Kennesaw State	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Lock W
Sept. 26	Texas*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Must stop Manning and Texas Money
Oct. 3	Auburn*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	New Coach, TN should win this game
Oct. 10	@ Arkansas*	Fayetteville, AR (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium)	New Coach, TN should win this game
Oct. 17	Alabama*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Probably a loss, but Vols have should be in the game
Oct. 24	@ South Carolina*	Columbia, SC (Williams-Brice Stadium)	Payback time for Michigan cheating
Oct. 31	BYE WEEK	—
Nov. 7	Kentucky* (Homecoming)	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	New coach, should win this game
Nov. 14	@ Texas A&M*	College Station, TX (Kyle Field)	Payback (for Butch being an idiot last time)
Nov. 21	LSU*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	At Home, Kiffin, Neyland rocking
Nov. 28	@ Vanderbilt*	Nashville, TN (FirstBank Stadium)	Payback, no Diego

My mid-summer SEC power Rankings

1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Tennessee
6. Texas A&M
7. LSU
8. Auburn
9. Florida
10. Ole Miss
11. Vanderbilt
12. South Carolina
13. Missouri
14. Arkansas
15. Miss State
16. Kentucky

Consensus Summer 2026 SEC Power Rankings Consensus

Rank	Team	Primary Summer Storyline / Outlook
1	Texas	Top spot in multiple rankings with Arch Manning returning for his final season.
2	Georgia	Defending back-to-back SEC Champions; QB Gunner Stockton returns to a loaded roster.
3	Ole Miss	Navigating a coaching transition after Lane Kiffin's departure to LSU.
4	Oklahoma	Looking to build on a 10-win playoff run with an upgraded offensive line.
5	Texas A&M	Coming off a College Football Playoff appearance under Mike Elko.
6	LSU	High-variance team entering a new era with head coach Lane Kiffin.
7	Alabama	Experiencing a slight slide in stability but retains a championship-caliber baseline roster.
8	Tennessee	Viewed as the "gatekeeper" of the top tier; navigating a fierce quarterback battle.
9	Florida	Facing a brutal schedule but bolstered by transfer portal defensive reinforcements.
10	South Carolina	Relying heavily on defensive development to break into the conference upper-half.
11	Missouri	Undergoing staff changes, including new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.
12	Vanderbilt	Looking to sustain momentum from a highly competitive 2025 season.
13	Auburn	Transitioning roster expected to hover around a bowl-eligibility baseline.
14	Mississippi State	Rebuilding depth under a grueling conference schedule rotation.
15	Kentucky	Entering a brand-new era under newly hired head coach Will Stein.
16	Arkansas	Facing what analysts calculate as the toughest overall schedule in the SEC.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

I expect Perlotte to play a lot. He has insane speed

 

[jasonvol18]

Jermod is off to the NFL, I think Lee locks down the other CB job. He's going to be a beast here. I do think Faizon wins QB1. Nice job!

 

[DowsaTV]

Jermod is off to the NFL, I think Lee locks down the other CB job. He's going to be a beast here. I do think Faizon wins QB1. Nice job!

Thank-you! Fat thumbed that one nicely

 

[jasonvol18]

Thank-you! Fat thumbed that one nicely

It happens! I really wish he was still here! Still a great job, that had to take some time!

 

[Mountvol]

Gilliam will be starting at DT

 

[Mountvol]

And sanders will be LT.

 

[DowsaTV]

And sanders will be LT.

That is great, I was going by him starting the last 5 games at RT last season and being an Elite 5-star, (was thinking no one would move him) now I see how he moved over to LT in spring practice and Ory was RT with the first team.

 

[Putbacks]

Ah! A cure for my homesickness! Go Big !

 

[NATHAN05]

Just curious as I expect several "down-to-the-wire games" and I woefully reflect on the UGA loss .........any word on Ranvier? (I know he was all-ACC) Just curious if hes been mentioned or praised by staff during scrimmages.

 

[Frozevol]

I think A&M should challenge TX and GA for the conference title. I think we could beat LSU at home. More worried about GaT. We should beat them but a tough early road test for the QBs. IMO I think our biggest uncertainty is how quickly our D learns a new system.

 

[DowsaTV]

Just curious as I expect several "down-to-the-wire games" and I woefully reflect on the UGA loss .........any word on Ranvier? (I know he was all-ACC) Just curious if hes been mentioned or praised by staff during scrimmages.

I looked into Ranvier and I am not that good on whether a kicker is going to be elite. Vols have *usually* been very dependable in FG kickers, historically. The GA game miss last year was a shock to many of us, I am sure.

His stats seemed to be a little above average, but not elite-level sounding. Again, I am not sure if this is something that the Vols have a system to make him better or what. But definitely a good kicker. Would of expected a couple of longer than 51.

https://utsports.com/sports/football/roster/cooper-ranvier/23086

pronounced RAN-vee-AY

CAREER HONORS​

2025 All-ACC Third Team

CAREER​

An All-ACC kicker who transferred to Tennessee after spending two seasons at Louisville … Entered the portal and enrolled on Rocky Top in January 2026 … Owns three seasons of eligibility, including the 2026 campaign … Played in 14 career games … Is 21-of-25 on field goals (84 percent) and 40-of-42 on PATs with a long make of 51 … Produced 103 career points.

2025 – RS-FRESHMAN (LOUISVILLE)​

Louisville’s starting kicker in his first full season … Played in all 13 games … Earned Third Team All-ACC honors, tying the school record for made field goals in a season with 21 ... Connected on 21-of-25 field goal attempts and tied for sixth in field goal percentage in a season (84.0) ... Tied for 13th nationally in field goals made ... Was 39-of-41 on PATs and ranked fourth in the ACC in scoring with 102 points … Was 6-of-7 on field goal attempts from 40 to 49 yards and 2-of-5 on field goal attempts of 50 or more yards with a long of 51 … Went 5-for-5 on PAT attempts and connected on his first career field goal attempt (23 yards) in the season opener against Eastern Kentucky (8/30) ... Connected on field goal attempts from 22 and 38 yards in the win over James Madison (9/5) ... Set career highs with three field goals made and 13 points against Bowling Green (9/20) ... Connected on a 50-yard attempt against Virginia (10/4) ... Hit his only field goal attempt from 48 yards in the win at Miami (10/17) while converting three extra points ... Set new career marks with a perfect 4-for-4 showing on field goals against Cal (11/8), making from 30, 49 (twice) and 39 yards ... Hit a career-long 51-yard field goal against Clemson (11/14) ... Made both field goal attempts at SMU (11/29), including 34 and 24 yards ... Tied Louisville's single-season field goal record (21) with two makes against Kentucky (11/29) on a 34-yarder and 24-yarder.

2024 – FRESHMAN (LOUISVILLE)​

Appeared in one game and earned a redshirt … Made his collegiate debut against Austin Peay (8/31) and converted his only PAT attempt of the season.

HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL​

Prepped at Frederick Douglass High School in Lexington, Kentucky, before enrolling at Louisville in the summer of 2024 … A two-sport athlete who was an all-state kicker and standout on the soccer team … Helped lead Frederick Douglass to a 2022 KHSAA state championship in football … Also led the Broncos to a district soccer title in 2022 … Considered one of the top 30 kickers in the Class of 2023 … Visited Tennessee during a high school visit … Grew up playing soccer in Lexington … Worked in high school with former Vols kicker James Wilhoit … Son of Chris and Kelly Ranvier … X handle is @RanvierCooper … Instagram handle is @cooper_ranvier

Grok:

2025 Season at Louisville (Redshirt Freshman)​

Ranvier took over as the starting kicker and delivered a strong debut season for an ACC contender:

• 21-of-25 field goals (84.0%) — tied the Louisville single-season record for makes.
• ~40-of-42 PATs, scoring 102–103 points (ranked 4th in the ACC in scoring).
• Ranked 5th in the ACC in field goal percentage.
• Long of 51 yards (vs. Clemson); made kicks from 50+ yards and went 6-of-7 from 40–49 yards.
• Excelled on shorter/mid-range attempts (nearly automatic under 50 yards).
• Key games included a perfect 4-for-4 outing vs. Cal (with a pair of 49-yarders) and multi-FG performances.

He played in all 13 games and earned Third-Team All-ACC recognition.

Arrival at Tennessee​

Tennessee brought him in via the transfer portal to replace Max Gilbert (who transferred to Arkansas after an inconsistent 2025). Ranvier entered with three years of eligibility remaining (including the 2026 season).

In spring practice and the Orange & White Game, he showed off his leg strength and accuracy with makes from 35, 45, 47, and 50 yards. He’s been tabbed as one of the Vols’ biggest offseason additions heading into 2026. A Lexington native, he has publicly expressed dislike for the rival Kentucky Wildcats.

Outlook for 2026​

Ranvier brings proven ACC production, accuracy, and a strong leg to the SEC. Tennessee values reliability in close games, and his track record (especially inside 50 yards) plus demonstrated range in spring drills positions him as the clear starter. He has already impressed coaches and fans with his work ethic and comfort in Neyland Stadium.

Social: Active on X/Twitter (@RanvierCooper) and Instagram (@cooper_ranvier).

He’s a young, accurate kicker who proved himself quickly at the Power conference level and is now getting his shot at the program he grew up dreaming about. Expect him to be a key special teams piece for the Vols in 2026 and beyond.

 

[DowsaTV]

I think A&M should challenge TX and GA for the conference title. I think we could beat LSU at home. More worried about GaT. We should beat them but a tough early test for the QBs. IMO I think our biggest uncertainty is how quickly our D learns a new system.

Yeah, Furman and GT are the only two games circled on my calendar today. Worry about the rest later.

 

[TheRealUT98]

Thanks for the thread useful information

 

[Mountvol]

 

[DowsaTV]

I literally was just looking at that. I have no probs with that jersey! First total reveal coming up July 6th.

 

[DonDiego]

Glad I kept my old mint condition #16 Adidas jersey.

 

[OffTackleVol]

I put this together, hope this helps get ya through July a little way

2026 Vols Mid Summer

2026 Projected depth Chart

Offense	1st Team	2nd Team
QB	George MacIntyre	Faizon Brandon
RB	Desaun Bishop	Duane Morris
WR	Mike Matthews	Jaokim Dodson
WR	Braylon Staley	Radarius Jackson
WR	Tristan Keys	Travis Smith
TE	Ethan Davis	DaSaahn Brame
RT	David Sanders Jr.	Ory Williams
RG	Wendell Moe Jr.	Gabriel Osenda
C	Sam Pendleton	Nic Moore
LG	Shamurad Umarov	Donovan Haslam
LT	Jesse Perry	Jeremias Heard
Defense
DT	Daevin Hobbs	Xavier Gilliam / Isaiah Campbell
DT	Nathan Robinson	JJ Finch / Charles House III
DL	Jordan Norman	Ethan Utley
EDGE	Tyree Weathersby	Christian Gass / Mariyon Dye
LB	Arion Carter	Jeremiah Telander
LB	Amare Campbell	Edwin Spillman
S	TJ Metcalf	Tre Poteat III
S	Qua Moss	Jadais Richard / DJ Burks
S	Edrees Farooq	Dejuan Lane
CB	Kayin Lee	Jadais Richard
CB	Ty Redmond	Isaiah Hardge
Special
FG	Cooper Ranvier	Josh Turbyville / Grady Dangerfield
KO	Josh Turbyville	Grady Dangerfield
LS	Bennet Brady	Blake Howard
P	Jackson Ross	Josh Turbyville / Logan Foley
KR	Duane Morris	Ian Duarte / Braylon Staley
PR	Joakim Dodson	Daune Morris / Isaiah Hardge

QB
Loaded with 5 star talent, 3 springs and falls, no gameday experience, Redshirt Frosh and true Frosh
RB
Elite starter, 1 great back-up, 1 good back-up, one unproven
TE
Elite starter with a highly talented yet unproven back-up
WR
Loaded with no name, hungry, high stars
OL
One of the most mature offensive lines in the country (Top 3 with GA and TX), returning four out of five starters from a unit that only lost 5.5% of its total pass-blocking snaps last season. Collectively, the group enters the season with an impressive 101 career collegiate starts
LB
Absolutely Loaded and deep
Sophomores Jadon Perlotte and Jaedon Harmon and Freshmen TJ White and Brayden Rouse are elite and not listed with the 2 deep
CB
Proven and talented but not deep, only 3 hard hitters
S
Like CB, Solid, Proven and talented but only 5 hard hitters
DL
First team proven and elite, losing Chaz is bad, depth becomes a problem. Freshman Breeze Carter, Hezekiah Harris, Carter Gooden, are all consensus 4-stars, and Zach Groves is 4-star in one ranking, none are not listed in the 2-deep.
FG
Cooper Ranvier, All-ACC kicker who transferred to Tennessee after spending two seasons at Louisville

Conditioning
Derek Owings, Director of Football Sports Performance, the highest-paid strength coach in college football history at $1.2 million per year.
Total Muscle Gained: The team has added a collective 870 pounds of muscle
Total Fat Lost: The roster shed a collective 220 pounds of fat
33 different players on the roster have gained 11 pounds or more of pure muscle in just a five-month span
Owings brought Josh Huff with him from Indiana as the Director of Applied Performance Science to actively track individual player data, GPS top-end speeds, and in-season velocity drop-offs
Ranked 3rd Behind Georgia and Alabama

Nutrition
Katie O'Connor from Kansas as the Director of Football Nutrition
O'Connor has redesigned the program around custom fueling plans. Staffers inside the player dining hall (Smokey’s) actively monitor food choices and recovery macro-intake daily

Roster
107 Total players

2026 Tennessee Football Schedule

Game Date	Opponent	Location	W/L
Sept. 5	Furman	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Lock W
Sept. 12	@ Georgia Tech	Atlanta, GA (Bobby Dodd Stadium)	Tough road game but Ga Tech has 2 new coordinators
Sept. 19	Kennesaw State	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Lock W
Sept. 26	Texas*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Must stop Manning and Texas Money
Oct. 3	Auburn*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	New Coach, TN should win this game
Oct. 10	@ Arkansas*	Fayetteville, AR (Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium)	New Coach, TN should win this game
Oct. 17	Alabama*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	Probably a loss, but Vols have should be in the game
Oct. 24	@ South Carolina*	Columbia, SC (Williams-Brice Stadium)	Payback time for Michigan cheating
Oct. 31	BYE WEEK	—
Nov. 7	Kentucky* (Homecoming)	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	New coach, should win this game
Nov. 14	@ Texas A&M*	College Station, TX (Kyle Field)	Payback (for Butch being an idiot last time)
Nov. 21	LSU*	Knoxville, TN (Neyland Stadium)	At Home, Kiffin, Neyland rocking
Nov. 28	@ Vanderbilt*	Nashville, TN (FirstBank Stadium)	Payback, no Diego

My mid-summer SEC power Rankings

1. Georgia
2. Texas
3. Alabama
4. Oklahoma
5. Tennessee
6. Texas A&M
7. LSU
8. Auburn
9. Florida
10. Ole Miss
11. Vanderbilt
12. South Carolina
13. Missouri
14. Arkansas
15. Miss State
16. Kentucky

Consensus Summer 2026 SEC Power Rankings Consensus

Rank	Team	Primary Summer Storyline / Outlook
1	Texas	Top spot in multiple rankings with Arch Manning returning for his final season.
2	Georgia	Defending back-to-back SEC Champions; QB Gunner Stockton returns to a loaded roster.
3	Ole Miss	Navigating a coaching transition after Lane Kiffin's departure to LSU.
4	Oklahoma	Looking to build on a 10-win playoff run with an upgraded offensive line.
5	Texas A&M	Coming off a College Football Playoff appearance under Mike Elko.
6	LSU	High-variance team entering a new era with head coach Lane Kiffin.
7	Alabama	Experiencing a slight slide in stability but retains a championship-caliber baseline roster.
8	Tennessee	Viewed as the "gatekeeper" of the top tier; navigating a fierce quarterback battle.
9	Florida	Facing a brutal schedule but bolstered by transfer portal defensive reinforcements.
10	South Carolina	Relying heavily on defensive development to break into the conference upper-half.
11	Missouri	Undergoing staff changes, including new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.
12	Vanderbilt	Looking to sustain momentum from a highly competitive 2025 season.
13	Auburn	Transitioning roster expected to hover around a bowl-eligibility baseline.
14	Mississippi State	Rebuilding depth under a grueling conference schedule rotation.
15	Kentucky	Entering a brand-new era under newly hired head coach Will Stein.
16	Arkansas	Facing what analysts calculate as the toughest overall schedule in the SEC.

Curious, why is the Alabama game "probably a loss?" I'm pretty confident we'll be the more "physical" team.

 

[DowsaTV]

Curious, why is the Alabama game "probably a loss?" I'm pretty confident we'll be the more "physical" team.

History, young qbs, new defense. And they still show as having an elite conditioning program, them and Georgia. I think we are closing the gap, but are we there, prob not yet, should be equal footing soon, 1-2 years. Plus they still have a lot of talent everywhere. We have split the last 4, 2/2. Not sure we are over the hump.

I'm not as confident as you, that we will have the more physical team. If we win, that will likely be the case though. We are closing the gap.

Lastly, I have a pre-condition that "Freshman SEC quarterback" equals, at a minimum, one loss in a season, no matter how good he is or how many stars he has, just an old adage of mine. The gauntlet is just too much. Then I say, since there will be at least one loss, which one will it be. Then I say Texas, Ala, or Texas AM. And we got Texas at home, and we beat Texas AM last time we played them, so its prob Ala.

 

[OffTackleVol]

History, young qbs, new defense. And they still show as having an elite conditioning program, them and Georgia. I think we are closing the gap, but are we there, prob not yet, should be equal footing soon, 1-2 years. Plus they still have a lot of talent everywhere. We have split the last 4, 2/2. Not sure we are over the hump.

I'm not as confident as you, that we will have the more physical team. If we win, that will likely be the case though. We are closing the gap.

Going back to Deboer's teams at Washington, he doesn't establish the run game. Of course, that could change, but Bama was not a physical football team (offensively) last season.

 

[DowsaTV]

Josh Heupel can’t hide his excitement over Tennessee’s Adidas partnership

Josh Heupel loves what Adidas is bringing to Tennessee football.

allfortennessee.com

 

[DowsaTV]

I would love nothing more than fo

Going back to Deboer's teams at Washington, he doesn't establish the run game. Of course, that could change, but Bama was not a physical football team (offensively) last season.

I would love nothing more. Gumps still beat GA once last year, something we couldn't do, and made it one-deep into the playoffs, as we lost to Vanderbilt. Hopefully that was a last gasp (For Alabama and Vanderbilt). I think we are all glad Saban is gone.

Gumps are home against Georgia right before us this year, yum yum.

 

[Mountvol]

Going back to Deboer's teams at Washington, he doesn't establish the run game. Of course, that could change, but Bama was not a physical football team (offensively) last season.

If my memory is correct Penix might have been the leading rusher on those Washington teams which has been a pattern in his offense is it really needs a qb who can run. OL has not been nasty since he’s been at bama and the scuttle this spring was they still have OL issues. If Russell wins the qb job they can probably hide some of the problems but it didn’t seem like they are just going to start having a traditional running game all the sudden this year.

 

[OffTackleVol]

I would love nothing more than fo

I would love nothing more. Gumps still beat GA once last year, something we couldn't do, and made it one-deep into the playoffs, as we lost to Vanderbilt. Hopefully that was a last gasp (For Alabama and Vanderbilt). I think we are all glad Saban is gone.

Gumps are home against Georgia right before us this year, yum yum.

I did not know that (Bama plays Georgia the week before coming to Knoxville). I'm probably wrong, but I think we're going to spank the Gumps this season...........

 

[WoodsmanVol]

Got no real idea what our W - L column will look like at season end. BUT, I believe Tennessee will be one of the most exciting teams to watch throughout the season. Nearly every game against quality opponents will be an Oilcan Harry vs. Mighty Mouse battle with ole Harry threatening to come out on top right into the final 20 seconds of the game. Fans everywhere won't be able to stop watching until the very end.

I whipped that miniature rat's azz.