2026 Vanderbilt Football Early Opponent Preview, Game 12: Tennessee – Sports Illustrated

In this story:
It will be a rivalry renewed once again this fall as Vanderbilt and Tennessee meet on the gridiron to close the regular season.
Though Tennessee has largely dominated the series between the two all-time, the Commodores got the best of the Volunteers in 2025 in dominating fashion. Vanderbilt took down Tennessee 45-24 in Knoxville to clinch the program’s first 10-win season in program history. It was a special night for Vanderbilt football’s program and now it hopes to defend home turf against its arch rival this season.
Both teams will look a little different, though. Vanderbilt and Tennessee are both amidst quarterback battles this offseason, but by the time these two schools meet in late November, the quarterback matchup will be long decided.
Last year, Vanderbilt and Tennessee met in the midday slate. This year, the Commodores will host the Volunteers in primetime under the lights of FirstBank Stadium on the night of Nov. 28. Before that, here is a look of Tennessee ahead of the 2026 season and its program.
Tennessee was one of the best offenses in college football last season. In fact, it was seventh in total offense a year ago with 466 yards of offense per game and 39.8 points per game. That is the nature of a Josh Heupel offense.
But Tennessee no longer has starting quarterback Joey Aguilar anymore. Despite his turnovers in 2025, he finished 11th in the country in passing yards, which is a lot of lost production to try and overcome.
The guy Tennessee is really hoping can continue its offensive success is likely going to be five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon. Brandon comes in ranked at the No. 3 quarterback in the 2026 class, but is in the middle of a quarterback competition. If he does win the battle, the true freshman will be highly relied upon.
One of the guys Brandon could be throwing to often is five-star wide receiver Tristen Keys, the No. 2 ranked receiver in the 2026 class. Though Tennessee lost its top receiver, Chris Brazzell Jr. to the NFL, it retained its second and third-highest pass catchers Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews.
The Volunteers seem to have a solid receiving corps intact, which is why they added far more defensive pieces in the portal than offensive. The direction of the Tennessee offense and perhaps the team in general will largely depend on the performance of the quarterback position, regardless of who wins it. That dependence is further emphasized in a system like Tennessee that is pass heavy and likes to try and outscore its opponents.
Tennessee’s defense was its biggest weakness a season ago. It finished 91st in total defense amongst all FBS teams, surrendering just under 400 yards per game and 28.8 points per game. The big adjustment Tennessee made on its defense was hiring new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Knowles has spent time as defensive coordinator at Ohio State and Penn State since 2018 and has been one of the best defensive football minds in the country.
Tennessee added plenty of defensive talent in its freshman class and transfer portal class. Coming in from its recruiting class are four-star linebackers TJ White and Brayden Rouse, four-star safety Joel Wyatt and four-star EDGE Carter Gooden.
Initially, the biggest addition on defense Tennessee made was Penn State EDGE Chaz Coleman. However, On3's Pete Nakos reported that Tennessee and Coleman parted ways in the final week of June. With Coleman no longer with the Volunteers, that makes Penn State linebacker transfer Amare Campbell the most notablr addition to the Tennessee defense. In 2025, Campbell had 103 total tackles and three sacks. Campbell led the Nittany Lions in tackles last season.
Tennessee only has five returning starters on defense coming into this season. Volunteers are replacing over half their defense, which may not be the worst thing in the world considering their 2025 defensive numbers. If the defensive additions live up to expectations, Tennessee could be better than preseason predictions.
Tennessee starts its season with an out-of-conference game against Furman before going to Atlanta in a neutral site game against Georgia Tech. Tennessee’s start to SEC play is no cake walk despite the fact it has two home games to kickoff its conference schedule.
Tennessee faces Texas and Auburn before road trips to Texas A&M, Arkansas, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
This should be an interesting season for Tennessee this season. The Volunteers are two seasons removed from a playoff appearance and Heupel is looking to get his program back there. If he does get Tennessee back to the playoffs, it is not expected to be this season. While a respectable program in the SEC, it becomes difficult for any team that is going through a quarterback battle in the offseason to get into the playoffs.
Even if Faizon Brandon wins the job and pans out, a freshman taking his team to the postseason would be a huge feat to accomplish. Tennessee should make a decent bowl game this season, but it would be a surprise if it was in serious contention to win the SEC.
As for this game, it is hard to forecast what type of game Vanderbilt and Tennessee will be. The Commodores went undefeated at home a season ago and are looking to beat their in-state rival at home for the first time since 2018. Maybe 2026 is the year they win two in a row over the Volunteers.
Date: Nov. 28
Time: Early slate (5 to 7 p.m. CT kickoff time)
TV: TBD
Location:FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Series history: Tennessee leads 79-34-5
Last meeting: Vanderbilt beat Tennessee 45-24 in 2025
Coach: Josh Heupel, sixth season, 45-20 record
Offensive coordinator: Joey Halzle
Defensive coordinator: Jim Knowles
2025 record: 8-5 (4-4 SEC)
2025 rankings: 7th in total offense, 91st in total defense
Top Newcomer: Amare Campbell, linebacker transfer from Penn State
Biggest Question: Who wins the quarterback battle and how successful can he be, given that Tennessee should have an improved defense this year?
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded: 1794
Enrollment: 40,784 total students
Nickname: Volunteers
Colors: Orange and white
Mascot: Smoky the Hound Dog
Last win in series: Florida beat Vanderbilt 36-23 in 2024.
FBS championships: Six claimed national championships (1938, 1940, 1950, 1951, 1967, 1998)
FBS Playoff Appearances: One (2024) 
September 5: vs. Furman
September 12: at Georgia Tech (in Atlanta)
September 19: vs. Kennesaw State
September 26: vs. Texas
October 3: vs. Auburn
October 10: at Arkansas
October 17: vs. Alabama
October 24: at South Carolina
November 7: vs. Kentucky
November 14: at Texas A&M
November 21: vs. LSU
November 28: at Vanderbilt
This is the 12th and final story in Vanderbilt on SI's early preview series of all 12 regular-season opponents for Vanderbilt football in 2026
Follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.
Loading recommendations… Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations
Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
© 2026 ABG-SI LLC – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

source