⚡ CFB Dashboard

- LB/DB: Collective bargaining under the current system isn’t feasible.

- Defense: Mateer bad bad bad.

- DL: Huge TD by aTm defense Pass batted in the air and intercepted by a DL run back 60 yards.

- DL: bama Dline getting pushed 4 yards off the line.

- QB/LB: This is just my opinion but it’s not surprising at all with the SEC schedule we have , a new DC with a history of struggling his 1st year, and a freshman QB.

- Pick/market: Tennessee’s 2026 season is off and running and GoVols247 is bringing back one of our staple features for each and every game: Our bold predictions.

- Georgia Tech QB Alberto Mendoza's opener showed a large pressure split: per PFF figures cited by Volquest, he completed 15 passes for 210 yards across 19 clean-pocket dropbacks, versus two completions for 27 yards across eight pressured dropbacks. Tennessee's ability to generate pressure is the preview's central defensive matchup; dropbacks are not pass-attempt totals. - Georgia Tech's tackles were the protection concern against Colorado: LT Ethan MacKenny allowed two sacks and two other pressures, while RT Malachi Carney allowed two pressures. The interior allowed none. That gives Tennessee different challenges on the edges and inside rather than evidence that every Tech lineman struggled in protection. - Tennessee DE Tyree Weathersby played 20 snaps against Furman, including 13 pass-rush snaps, with an untouched sack on the opening play and another hurry. Volquest identifies his matchup with Georgia Tech LT Ethan MacKenny as a test of whether that limited-opening-game production can carry over against tougher competition for four quarters. - Tennessee's Xavier Gilliam recorded three sacks and five total tackles for loss in his debut against Furman. His interior rush now meets a Georgia Tech interior line that allowed no pressures against Colorado, making the inside matchup a separate test from Tech's tackle issues. - Both starting quarterbacks enter this matchup making their second collegiate starts, and the preview emphasizes avoiding negative plays and long-yardage situations. Volquest expects Georgia Tech's line to improve under Brent Key, noting MacKenny started all 13 games at left tackle last season; that is an analyst expectation, not a confirmed improvement.

- DL/DB: Normally im pretty old school on this stuff but I guess it definitely doesnt give a competitive edge it is forst and foremost for the players safety.

- DB: Furman did not attempt a pass of more than 10 yards downfield.

- QB/OL: many of the great plays that Condredge made would have been Sports Center highlights except there was no Sports Center or ESPN as it was still 5 years away after Condredge left.

- Tennessee generated sacks through Xavier Gilliam, Tyree Weathersby, Mariyon Dye and Edwin Spillman against Furman, but the preview cautions that its transfer-heavy secondary was barely tested. Secondary coach Anthony Poindexter expects Georgia Tech's multiple formations, shifts and motions to test pre-snap calls and communication against better receiving options, a different challenge from simply repeating the opening-game pass rush.

- Josh Heupel described Arion Carter as back for Tennessee's trip to Georgia Tech and emphasized his linebacker communication, maturity and leadership in getting the defense aligned on the road. This adds Heupel's direct assessment to earlier return reporting, without specifying a snap limit or role for other linebackers. - Heupel praised freshman Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon's decisiveness in his first start and identified road communication and equally decisive ball distribution as priorities against Georgia Tech. He framed the next step as executing consistently in the road environment, not a change at quarterback or a projected scoring total. - Against a Georgia Tech defensive front that Heupel described as big, strong and regularly rotated, Tennessee is emphasizing identification and communication of blocking targets. He also credited DeSean Bishop and Javin Gordon with pass protection and pressing their rushing landmarks to set up blocks and reach space; he did not announce a change to their workload split. - Heupel said Tennessee's front and linebackers must read their keys, maintain their gaps and shed blocks before Georgia Tech's runners build momentum or reach space. He highlighted the runners' ability both to run through defenders and make them miss, making early run contact a stated defensive preparation priority. - Tennessee's special-teams preparation is focused on Georgia Tech's aggressive kick returns, including a return from five to six yards deep in the end zone, and pressure from its field-goal-block and punt-return units. Heupel stressed return recognition, leverage, block shedding and protection at the line to defend field position.

- LB: "I'm scared." All eyes on the return of Tennessee football linebacker Arion Carter this Saturday

- Pick/market: I’m with this, minus the defensive TD.

- Defense: We can use the Dooley defense with 13 LBs.

- LB: It’s hilarious to me that so many college players think they will make the NFL.

- QB/OL: I agree dober, I never write off a year and I don’t intend to with this one but I’m fully expecting a frustrating year with growing pains.

- OL: It wasn't a bottle in front of me, it was a frontal lobotomy!

- LB: Side note: “The brick hit house” would be an awesome nickname for a linebacker.

- Tennessee coach Josh Heupel praised Faizon Brandon's decision-making and pocket escapes against Furman while identifying one inaccurate fourth-down throw caused by poor fundamentals and one quarterback-receiver read mismatch to correct. - Joakim Dodson is out for the season and Ian Duarte's quick return was only a hope, leaving explosive young slot receiver Tyreek King under greater preparation pressure without a confirmed Duarte timetable. - Heupel welcomed Arion Carter's return against Georgia Tech as a boost to defensive communication and leadership that also permits more linebacker rotation to keep the group fresh. - Heupel was broadly pleased with first-team tackling apart from perimeter positioning misses, but said the second and third units need a larger improvement before facing Georgia Tech's more comparable physical talent. - Heupel praised Daune Morris and Justin Baker for pad level and off-ball work, saying Baker's long run reflected sustained strong offseason and camp performance rather than an unexpected breakout.

- Anthony Poindexter said Tennessee's secondary executed its coverages with few communication busts against Furman, but emphasized that limited deep-pass testing leaves downfield coverage less established entering Georgia Tech. - Poindexter was encouraged that Tennessee's young reserves knew their assignments and lined up correctly in a small second-half sample, while making further playing time dependent on continued execution and physical effort.

- Pick/market: Out of all the packages we ran on defense against Furman on Saturday, 3-3-5 was only 12.8%.

- OL/DL: This goes one step further: Heupel and team are intentionally creating blocking schemes that sell run.

- QB/RB: I now know Tennessee has a QB...in fact 2 QBs that can manage the offense and move the ball.

- Injury: After bringing in single-digit transfers in each of the past three offseasons, Tennessee adjusted its approach to the college football transfer portal entering 2026 and added 21 players from other programs.

- Pick/market: Not good enough​ -Brent Key’s decision-making in the final minutes.

- After Saturday's opener, Josh Heupel said Tennessee center Sam Pendleton was held out following warmups and was expected back the following week, an expectation rather than confirmed clearance. - Tennessee defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam recorded three sacks against Furman, with Heupel describing that production as consistent with his preparation and performance through spring and camp. - Faizon Brandon produced 294 total yards with three passing and two rushing touchdowns in his Tennessee debut against FCS opponent Furman, and Heupel praised his communication, decision-making and ability to stay within the offense. - Heupel said transfer tight end Trent Thomas has improved technically since January and provides Tennessee with physicality and passing-game value, expressing confidence that he can play at a high level. - Heupel highlighted Tennessee running back Javin Gordon's pace, feel and physical running as established offseason strengths that carried into the opener, while expressing confidence in the wider running-back rotation.

- With Tennessee's Joakim Dodson out for the remainder of the season after a kickoff-return injury, Josh Heupel identified Tyreek King as the first player who needs to step up and emphasized greater urgency in his development. - Heupel said Tennessee's offensive line has communication issues across all five positions with a new center, including missed blocking assignments against an unexpected Furman front, and left the Week 2 rotation dependent on practice. - Heupel described Tennessee's starting defense as assignment-sound and its front seven as particularly effective in Jim Knowles' debut against Furman, while noting that the unit still has areas to improve.

- DL: WATCH: Tennessee DL Nathan Robinson talks Xavier Gilliam's impact on Saturday and Arion Carter's return this weekend ⬇️ (Via RTI on YouTube)

- LB: WATCH: Tennessee LB Arion Carter talks about his season-long charity donation, the origin behind his decision, his excitement to debut on Saturday, and more ⬇️ (Via RTI on YouTube)

- LB: Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter is turning his NCAA punishment into a selfless, meaningful donation to a research close to his heart ⬇️

- QB/RB: Same here, missed the first touchdown, just now rewatching.

- DL: Leavitt is going to have to be hit (legally) when he is running.

- Coaching: Xavier Gilliam was one of Tennessee's most celebrated additions from the transfer portal this offseason.

- QB/LB: Tennessee opened the new college football season with a commanding win against Furman on Saturday afternoon at Neyland Stadium.

- Pick/market: I doesn’t make sense to put in a cold QB at the same time as a bunch of cold 2-3 players.

- QB/OL: Really it was about the total opposite of what I expected.

- QB/WR: WATCH: Tennessee-Furman postgame videos ⬇️ -HC Josh Heupel -QB Faizon Brandon/WR Mike Matthews -DL Xavier Gilliam/LB Amare Campbell -Furman HC Clay Hendrix