Josh Heupel Explains Why This Tennessee Football Player Will Receive More Reps

This Tennessee football has been receiving more reps, and will continue to do so. This is why.

Sep 5, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel during the first quarter against the Furman Paladins at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tennessee is set for their second home game of the season, as the Vols are set to take on the Kennesaw State Owls. The Vols are 2-0 at the moment, as they defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets last week in Atlanta and, of course, defeated the Furman Paladins in the first game of the season.

Ahead of the game against the Kennesaw State Owls, many different coaches and players spoke to the media team at Tennessee to discuss the upcoming contest. This includes head football coach Josh Heupel, who spoke about many different players, including defensive lineman Carson Gentle, who has been receiving more reps.

Here is what he had to say about Gentle ahead of the contest.

Josh Heupel on Carson Gentle Receiving More Reps

Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis (0) and Tennessee defensive lineman Carson Gentle (35) laugh while signing autographs at a Tennessee Football meet and greet at Food City at 6710 Malone Creek Drive in Knoxville, Tenn., on July 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Tough, smart, relentless competitor. Knows his job, does his job, selfless, tough kid. He went through a little bit of injury during the summer, and so it was kind of a slow trickle in his growth over the course of training camp, and so, he’s as healthy as he’s been and ready to handle more volume. That’s why he got more play the other week," Heupel said.

Gentle is a former three-star commit who joined the Vols as their first commit in the class of 2024. Gentle played high school football at McCallie High School and is by far one of the more gifted players on the line when it comes to filling a gap.

He is a solid player up front and is someone who has found himself with a bigger role on the defense, which is something that fans can continue to expect. This is a good sign not only for Gentle, but for the defense as a whole, as the Vols needed players on the defensive line to continue to progress and break out, as they are considered what many would say is a "thin group".

Gentle will likely be someone that people see on the field during the game on Saturday, as he continues to progress in the right way.

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