It Has Only Just Begun
- Ellie Williamson
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The 130th football team for the University of Tennessee opened fall camp this past week and by the time the Volunteers took their first day off five practices later, one theme had already taken over: nobody knows who’s throwing the ball in Week 1. However, everyone does know how to dissect body styles and video footage. Once the first camp photos leaked out of the building, it was clear: college football was so back in Tennessee.
For yet another season, Josh Heupel will head into a season opener without a proven starting quarterback. The competition this time is between redshirt freshman Faizon Brandon and sophomore George MacIntyre, with Colorado transfer Ryan Staub getting the most reps. Unlike last summer’s battle, neither of the top two options has started a college game.Heupel isn’t rushing it.
“You want to see your quarterbacks, but it’s true for every player,” he told reporters, framing the competition as one piece of a larger evaluation rather than a race to a quick answer.
As he has done in this situation before, he has made it clear. There will be a competition through fall camp. He does want to see progression from day 1 to day 2. He wants to see the fewest mistakes. The Vols HC and former National Champion QB has now led an offense into the top 10 of scoring for 7 of the last 9 years. He also has had a different QB in each of those years. He told me on Day 1 that he attributes that stat to the success his staff has at placing the right people in the right places.
Heupel: “I kinda look at it like they are the artist, you got to give them the paintbbrush and go let them paint the painting.”
The Vols opened camp with a 17-period workout that was heavy on install. Individual position drills, routes on air and 7-on-7 work dominated a practice that wrapped just before 11 a.m. each day.
“You are in the process of building a master in technique and scheme, and today is day one,” Heupel said. “It’s never about where you are at, it’s about where you have to get to and how hard you are going to compete.”
Two practices in, quarterbacks were splitting first-team reps with the top receiver group, and no one had separated. Brandon and MacIntyre have shown big arms in early throwing sessions, though Heupel has made clear that scrimmages, not short intermediate passes will be what actually settles the job.
Camp Opens With A Few Bumps
Miami transfer cornerback Jadais Richard suffered what’s being described as a season-ending injury, a real loss for a secondary trying to replace multiple departures from a year ago. Defensive back Ty Redmond has been sidelined by illness, not injury, and is expected back shortly. Tight end Ethan Davis sat out one open portion as a precaution. Five-star freshman receiver TK Keys has been limited by a soft-tissue issue unrelated to the injury he was dealing with in high school and is targeting a return to full participation this weekend. It was also announced that LB Jaedon Harmon (14 games as a true freshman in 2025, 19 tackles) will miss the 2026 season after tearing his right knee (ACL) during the Saturday morning practice session.
New Voice On Defense
Jim Knowles takes over as defensive coordinator this fall, Tennessee’s first change at that position in years, working alongside co-coordinator Anthony Poindexter. Camp is the first extended look at how Knowles’ scheme fits personnel that lost significant pieces to the NFL Draft and the transfer portal, including cornerbacks Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy and defensive linemen Joshua Josephs and Tyre West.
TE Picture Stays Muddled By Design
Behind Davis, a group that includes DaSaahn Brame, Luca Wolf, Cole Harrison, Trent Thomas and Drake Martinez is competing for snaps, and position coach Alec Abeln has indicated the staff plans to rotate at least two tight ends regularly, possibly more. Nobody has pulled away yet, which coaches have framed as depth rather than a
Linebacker Room is Adjusting
The position group is working through the fallout of Arion Carter’s suspension, with linebackers coach William Inge publicly expressing confidence in the unit’s depth to absorb the loss.
Inge: “When you are on the football field, you have to be able to command the defense. You are the quarterback.That is the standard that has been set. And I think we have, you know, three veterans in Amare, Arion and Telander that are doing a really good job of setting that example.”
Tennessee practices are all closed to the public, but open to the media on a rolling schedule ahead of a Sept. 5 season opener against Furman at Neyland Stadium. The Vols enter this year after missing the College Football Playoff and losing a bowl game in Nashville to Illinois. They start off at No. 18 in the coaches poll. The Vols look to replace significant production on both lines and in the secondary while also breaking in a first-year starting quarterback.
Standouts From Practice Reps:
WR
Braylon Staley
OL
DL
Xavier Gilliam
Safety
TE
LB
Amare Campbell
Arion Carter
QB
George MacIntyre
Faizon Brandon
Ryan Staub
The Vols will circulate media into practice on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday before a closed scrimmage finishes the week on Saturday. The program will hold media availability at the conclusion of the Saturday scrimmage.
Follow along as we share eyes and ears over on the TPL Tennessee platform. Share the conversation with us.
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