Multiple Players Now Expected to Miss Tennessee Football's Bowl Game Against Illinois

Tennessee football will be without multiple players following a recent report.

Tennessee defensive lineman Jaxson Moi (51) celebrates after a tackle during a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 11, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee is set for their final game of the college football season in just a few days when it plays on the road, but not too far from home. The Vols will be on their way to play against the Illinois Fighting Illini in the familiar Music City Bowl. A bowl game that will be played inside Nissan Stadium (the home of the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, Tennessee).

There are many players who will miss this game, and some haven't even announced that they will be out of this game. Multiple names were confirmed by Brent Hubbs (VolQuest) on WNML's SportsTalk. Here is what he has to say, according to Zach Ragan from AtoZSports.

What Hubbs Said About The Players Missing The Game

Tennessee defensive back Colton Hood (8) at the Vol Walk before a NCAA football game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Oklahoma Sooners at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on November 1, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“You’ve got Wendell Moe, who’s banged up, I don’t think he’s going to go because of injury,” said Hubbs. “You’ve got Jaxson Moi, who’s not going to go because of injury. So there’s a couple of guys there that are out. Then obviously, the opt out guys, with Peyton Lewis, I guess, being the most notable one at this point in terms of guys who have played snaps. And then he’s not formally announced anything, but Colton Hood’s not going to play in this game. I don’t expect Joshua Josephs to play in this game, because he’s been a bit banged up. And again, those two guys (Hood and Josephs) have not formally announced anything. Chris Brazzell is not going to play in this game as he’s off to the NFL as well.”

Brazzell had already detailed that he would be out of this game, and you would also expect some of the players like Rickey Gibson and Jermod McCoy to miss this contest. However, guys like Colton Hood still seemed to be a reliable option to play even despite him claiming to be entering the NFL Draft following his first season in the orange and white. Missing some of these players, like Joshua Josephs, will be a major loss for the Vols, and Tennessee will have to work their tails off if they want to win this game against Illinois, who aren't necessarily in the same boat that the Vols are in with opt-outs and injuries. This is exactly why the line has started to move in favor of the Illinois Fighting Illini, and this will be something to monitor in the coming days.

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