Some readers' comments about Tennessee sports were surprisingly positive, highlighting contributions to baseball, football, and basketball. The article discusses the challenges faced by the UT teams despite strong recruiting classes and NIL transfers.
Key points
Some readers' comments about Tennessee sports were positive
Contributions highlighted in baseball, football, and basketball
Josh Squanderer faces challenges with team performance
Tennessee won their recent game against Kentucky
NIL transfers are crucial for attracting talent
Shockingly, some of my readers' Tennessee comments weren't all negative | Adams
And shockingly, their literary efforts werenât all negative.
Shemp writes: Recognizing that the SEC is no easy league to play in, and that UT finally pulled out the third game of their schedule with Kentucky, how has Josh Squanderer taken a team that had top five recruiting classes the last two years and some of the best of this yearâs NIL transfers and now doesnât even have close to a winning conference record?
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith speaks with Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel signs a Tennessee hat for Caitlyn York and Debbi Cecil during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Q&A
What were the positive comments about Tennessee sports?
Readers expressed positive sentiments regarding Tennessee's performance in baseball, football, and basketball.
Who is Josh Squanderer and what challenges is he facing?
Josh Squanderer is the coach of the Tennessee team, facing challenges in achieving a winning conference record despite strong recruiting classes and NIL transfers.
How did Tennessee perform against Kentucky in their recent game?
Tennessee managed to win the third game of their schedule against Kentucky, showcasing their competitive spirit in the SEC.
What is the significance of NIL transfers for Tennessee sports?
NIL transfers are significant as they allow Tennessee to attract top talent, but the team's current performance raises questions about their effectiveness.
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Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell poses for a picture with Brande Guess during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith speaks during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith interviews Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes, Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel and Kim Caldwell during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee basketball coach Alfred Printup during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
The view from the overlook during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee football Josh Heupel signs a small football helmet for fans during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel speaks with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee football fans wait in line to meet Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel poses for a picture with Roy and Adam Webb during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee fans wait in line to meet Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White smiles while speaking with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
A young fan takes a picture with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
A young fan high-flves Smokey the mascot during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee fans wait in line to meet Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes receives a gift from Doc Holliday during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith speaks with Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
1 / 21
Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith speaks with Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
2 / 21
Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel signs a Tennessee hat for Caitlyn York and Debbi Cecil during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
3 / 21
Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell poses for a picture with Brande Guess during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
4 / 21
Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith speaks during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Voice of the Vols Mike Keith interviews Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes, Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel and Kim Caldwell during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee basketball coach Alfred Printup during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
The view from the overlook during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee football Josh Heupel signs a small football helmet for fans during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel speaks with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee football fans wait in line to meet Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel poses for a picture with Roy and Adam Webb during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
15 / 21
Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee fans wait in line to meet Tennessee women's basketball coach Kim Caldwell during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee Athletic Director Danny White smiles while speaking with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
A young fan takes a picture with Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
A young fan high-flves Smokey the mascot during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel speaks with media during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee fans wait in line to meet Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
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Tennessee's 2026 Big Orange Caravan makes stop in Chattanooga
Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes receives a gift from Doc Holliday during the Big Orange Caravan held at the Riverdance Restaurant in Guild, Tenn., on April 28, 2026.
Are we going back to the so-so Ron Delmonico days?
My response: The Delmonico days werenât so so-so. UT had ups and downs on his watch, but he won much more than he lost from 1990 through 2007. He led three UT teams to the College World Series.
The Vols didnât make another CWS until Tony Vitello took charge.
Given UTâs success under Vitello, Josh Elanderâs first season has been a disappointment, especially since the Vols seemingly had recruited a talented roster.
Tennesseeâs relief pitching has been erratic at best, disastrous at worst. You canât help but wonder how much better it would have been under former pitching coach Frank Anderson.
Sam writes: Tennessee fans want another national championship or at least to play for one. Wake up Vol fans, that isnât going to happen with Heupel being the coach at Tennessee.
For the last three seasons, their schedule has been playing high school teams, that is the reason they have a winning record. This season they play a bunch of good teams. So, we will see what they do.
Saban won a national championship the second or third year he was at Alabama. But those days are over also now that NIL and transfers are allowed. No more glory days. Parity is what you can expect now.
My response: Heupel is a significant upgrade over Tennesseeâs previous coaches. The previous four of them combined for five winning seasons from 2008-20. Heupel has posted winning records in each of his five seasons.
But he needs to make better use of the transfer portal. The Vols have enough NIL money to succeed in this era if they become more aggressive and efficient in recruiting transfers.
Colorado Mark writes: If Kim Caldwell is on the hot seat, what is Hype gonna be on come November? 6 & 6 is a real possibility, and Kim is not getting paid nearly as money to coach a team that has no shot at winning a title, a championship, or maybe even a Music City Bowl repeat.
The return on investment versus fan expectations is about to become a problem on Rocky Top. Will it become a bigger problem for Kim, or Hype? One way or the other, if I were Danny White, I would be exploring future options. Now.
My response: The Vols are more likely to go 8-4 or even 9-3 than 6-6. But that prediction is based on their new quarterback at least matching the play of Heupelâs previous quarterbacks.
If the quarterbacks falter against what shapes up as a tougher schedule, 6-6 isnât out of the question. And that would put Heupel on the hot seat.
Donald writes: I like what I hear about the incoming womenâs basketball transfers. Like coach Kim Caldwell said: "a stronger blue-collar culture." Top 100 players think self-first, "chased ranking" rather than team "they all wanted to do the same things" scoring, not the team.
My response: The Lady Vols have enough NIL support to always field a team capable of making the NCAA Tournament. They proved that despite going 16-14 and losing their last eight games in the 2025-26 season.
But if you hope to contend for a championship, you need elite players. And most elite players wonât want to be shuffled in and out of games every five minutes. Nor will they want to play full-court defense as much as Caldwell demands.
Glenn writes: Three of my favorite Tennessee basketball players â J.P. Estrella, Amari Evans and Cade Phillips â leaving via the portal have left me feeling jilted. I can handle one-and-done Nate Ament leaving for the draft, but watching our guys leaving for another college team is not a pleasant feeling, even though Rick Barnes may bring in more talent.
VFL may need to change to VFY (Vol For Year).
My response: Drastic roster turnover is now a way of life in college basketball, especially if a program is serious about winning a championship.
Michigan won a national title via the transfer portal by doing more than filling needs. It recruited over starters.
Mike writes: If Alabama is willing to give Kalen DeBoer such a lucrative new contract based on his less than sensational performance so far, can you imagine what they would pay him if he really was an outstanding coach?
My response: If that means winning a championship, we might never know.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 orjohn.adams@knoxnews.com.
