
Tennessee football wrapped up spring practices on April 11 and will start the 2026 season on September 5 against Furman. The Vols will have Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt as permanent opponents in the SEC.
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Tennessee concluded spring football practices April 11 with its annual Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium.
The Vols will kick off their 2026 football season Sept. 5 versus Furman at Neyland Stadium. 2026 will mark the sixth season for the Vols under head coach Josh Heupel.
From 2021-25, he has guided Tennessee to a 45-20 (24-16 SEC) record, one College Football Playoff appearance and four bowl games.
Beginning in 2026, Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as permanent opponents. Each SEC school will have three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents for the next four years.
The Vols will host Furman, Kennesaw State, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and LSU, while playing at Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt during the 2026 campaign.
More: Tennessee DC Jim Knowles' defenses by the numbers at Ohio State, Penn State
Following the Orange & White Game and spring football practices, Vols Wire provides game predictions for Tennessee in 2026.
Tennessee football will kick off its 2026 season on September 5 against Furman.
Tennessee's permanent SEC opponents starting in 2026 will be Alabama, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.
Under coach Josh Heupel, Tennessee has a record of 45-20 from 2021 to 2025.
In the 2026 season, Tennessee will play away games at Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt.


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| Date | Opponent | Projection |
| Sept. 5 | Furman (Knoxville, Tennessee) | W |
| Sept. 12 | Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Georgia) | W |
| Sept. 19 | Kennesaw State (Knoxville, Tennessee) | W |
| Sept. 26 | Texas (Knoxville, Tennessee) | L |
| Oct. 3 | Auburn (Knoxville, Tennessee) | W |
| Oct. 10 | Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas) | W |
| Oct. 17 | Alabama (Knoxville, Tennessee) | L |
| Oct. 24 | South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina) | W |
| Oct. 31 | Open date | |
| Nov. 7 | Kentucky (Knoxville, Tennessee) | W |
| Nov. 14 | Texas A&M (College Station, Texas) | L |
| Nov. 21 | LSU (Knoxville, Tennessee) | L |
| Nov. 28 | Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tennessee) | W |
Ory Williams
| Player | Position | Status |
| Boo Carter | S | Outgoing (Colorado) |
| Jamal Wallace | DL | Outgoing (Utah) |
| Kellen Lindstrom | DL | Outgoing (Missouri State) |
| Brenden Anes | LB | Outgoing (Western Michigan) |
| Marcus Goree Jr. | CB | Outgoing (Troy) |
| Jake Merklinger | QB | Outgoing (UConn) |
| Peyton Lewis | RB | Outgoing (Virginia) |
| Trevor Duncan | OL | Outgoing (The Citadel) |
| Herb Gray | DL | Outgoing (UNLV) |
| Max Anderson | OL | Outgoing (Kentucky) |
| Tommy Winton III | WR | Outgoing (ETSU) |
| Colin Brazzell | CB | Outgoing (Abilene Christian) |
| Bennett Warren | OL | Outgoing (Minnesota) |
| Lance Heard | OL | Outgoing (Kentucky) |
| Braylon Harmon | WR | Outgoing (Austin Peay) |
| Amari Jefferson | WR | Outgoing |
| Rickey Gibson III | CB | Outgoing (Texas A&M) |
| Caleb Herring | DL | Outgoing (South Carolina) |
| Emmanuel Okoye | DL | Outgoing (California) |
| Max Gilbert | K | Outgoing (Arkansas) |
| Jayden Loftin | DL | Outgoing (Wisconsin) |
| Qua Moss | S | Incoming (Kansas State) |
| William Satterwhite | OL | Outgoing (LSU) |
| Brian Grant | OL | Outgoing (Memphis) |
| Ory Williams | OL | Incoming (LSU) |
| Josh Schell | DL | Outgoing (UCF) |
| Jordan Ross | DL | Outgoing (LSU) |
| Kayin Lee | CB | Incoming (Auburn) |
| Xavier Gilliam | DL | Incoming (Penn State) |
| Cooper Ranvier | K | Incoming (Louisville) |
| Amare Campbell | LB | Incoming (Penn State) |
| Chaz Coleman | DL | Incoming (Penn State) |
| Dejuan Lane | S | Incoming (Penn State) |
| Gavin Freeman | WR | Incoming (Oklahoma State), outgoing (Baylor) |
| Jordan Norman | DL | Incoming (Tulane) |
| Kaleb Beasley | DB | Outgoing (Louisville) |
| TJ Metcalf | S | Incoming (Michigan) |
| Jack Van Dorselaer | TE | Outgoing (Oklahoma) |
| Arion Carter | LB | Outgoing (Tennessee), incoming (Tennessee) |
| Donovan Haslam | OL | Incoming (West Virginia) |
| Tevis Metcalf | CB | Incoming (Michigan) |
| Trent Thomas | TE | Incoming (South Alabama) |
| Javin Gordon | RB | Incoming (Tulane) |
| DJ Burks | S | Incoming (Appalachian State) |
| Blake Howard | LS | Incoming (Eastern Kentucky) |
| Isaiah Hardge | CB/WR | Incoming (Colorado) |
| Ryan Staub | QB | Incoming (Colorado) |
| Ian Duarte | WR | Incoming (Idaho State) |
| Jadais Richard | DB | Incoming (Miami) |
| Drake Martinez | TE | Incoming (UT Martin) |
| Trey Weary | WR | Outgoing (ETSU) |
Gabriel Osenda
| Signee | Position | School |
| Gabriel Osenda | OT | Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN) |
| Edward Baker | IOL | St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD) |
| KJ McClain | S | Saint Joseph Regional High School (Montvale, NJ) |
| Jowell Combay | S | Kell High School (Marietta, GA) |
| Brayden Rouse | LB | Kell High School (Marietta, GA) |
| Logan Foley | P | Australia |
| Zach Groves | DE | East Robertson High School (Cross Plains, TN) |
| Faizon Brandon | QB | Grimsley High School (Greensboro, NC) |
| Jamyan Theodore | CB | Baylor School (Chattanooga, TN) |
| Hezekiah Harris | DE | Jemison High School (Huntsville, AL) |
| Luke Thompson | ATH | Franklin High School (Franklin, TN) |
| Tyreek King | WR | Catholic High School (Knoxville, TN) |
| Tristen Keys | WR | Hattiesburg High School (Hattiesburg, MS) |
| Luca Wolf | TE | NFL Academy (London, England) |
| Joel Wyatt | ATH | Oakland High School (Murfreesboro, TN) |
| Nic'Quayvion Simmons | DL | Carver High School (Columbus, GA) |
| Darryl Rivers | DL | McEachern High School (Powder Springs, GA) |
| Kamari Blair | OT | Kirkwood High School (Clarksville, TN) |
| Kedric Golston II | DE | Stone Bridge High School (Ashburn, VA) |
| TJ White | LB | Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS) |
| Dereon Albert | DL | Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS) |
| Carter Gooden | DE | Tabor Academy (Marion, Massachusetts) |
| Javonte Smith | CB | North Side High School (Jackson, TN) |
| CJ Edwards | DE | St. Joseph High School (Metuchen, NJ) |
| Zay Anderson | CB | Greeneville High School (Greeneville, TN) |
| Jordan Carter | DE | Douglasville High School (Douglasville, GA) |
| JJ Finch | DL | Warren Central High School (Indianapolis, IN) |
This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: 2026 Tennessee football win-loss prediction for each game after spring