Tennessee Football Will Reportedly Be Without One of Their Offensive Weapons

The Tennessee Volunteers are now expected to be without one of their biggest weapons.

Sep 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel after after a victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers are now expected to be without one of their star running backs, as a report has been released before fans can even enter the stadium.

Pete Thamel Reports Javin Gordon is OUT vs. Texas

Sep 5, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback George MacIntyre (12) hands the ball off to running back Javin Gordon (6) during the second half against the Furman Paladins at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Sources: Tennessee back-up tailback Javin Gordon (leg) is out for the game against No. 1 Texas. (He also didn’t play last week against Kennesaw). Tennessee starting defensive lineman Nathan Robinson (undisclosed) is a game-time decision. He’ll warm-up and be evaluated to see if he can play. Robinson started Tennessee’s first two games. Gordon has 20 carries for 79 yards this year," Thamel said.

This is a big blow for the Tennessee Volunteers, as this is the second week in a row that the Vols will be without their backup running back. This turns all of the focus to the big man leading the charge, DeSean Bishop.

Bishop is one of the better running backs in the SEC and is easily one of the most proven players in the entire nation. He has shown he can be trusted, but one thing that many know about the SEC: depth matters. With that being said, he isn't going to be able to handle business all by himself. In fact, he is going to have to have at least one reliable option behind him.

The premier option behind the talented back is Daune Morris, who has been on a mission in the last two weeks. He has broken off some massive runs and was the star of the game for the Tennessee Volunteers a week ago. With that being said, this is a big task for the Volunteers, as this is the first SEC game of the season, and Morris is being asked to be a premier back. Luckily for Morris, this is what he signed up to do.

Hunter Barnes is another name to know if the players start to get banged up or if the players begin needing more rest. Barnes showed last week that he is a fifth-year player who can be trusted in some big moments. I would look for him to have a massive game for the Vols if they begin to start cramping, hurting, or just begin to become fatigued.

Overall, it's not the end of the world with Gordon out, but this definitely isn't the news that they wanted, as he was expected to have a huge workload for the Vols on Saturday.

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