Vols Name Captains for Kentucky Game: What to Know

Tennessee football is just a day away from taking on the Kentucky Wildcats. Kickoff is set for 6:20 p.m. ET inside Neyland Stadium to cap off homecoming week for the University of Tennessee. Tom Hart (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (sideline reporter) will have the call for Saturday's game on ESPN.

Friday, Tennessee released the captains for Saturday’s game: fifth-year long snapper Bennett Brady, senior linebacker Arion Carter, senior running back DeSean Bishop, and senior linebacker Jeremiah Telander.

Oct 3, 2026; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Arion Carter (7) reacts after recovering a fumble against the Auburn Tigers during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This group represents all three phases of the game and has been a regular presence at the coin toss this season. Brady and Carter have been captains in eight of nine games, while Telander has been selected six times and Bishop four.

Be sure to arrive at Neyland Stadium early, as the gates will open at 3:15 p.m. ET. Fans can enjoy half-priced concessions until 4:15 p.m. At 5:42 p.m. ET, four T-38 Talons will conduct a flyover. The flyover will take place 38 minutes prior to kickoff due to civil twilight restrictions.

It is November football, and Tennessee controls its own destiny. With the initial College Football Playoff ranking of No. 13, all the Vols have to do is win out. But, of course, it’s one game at a time, and they will have to minimize distractions.

“There’s always a ton of noise outside of your building,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said on Monday. “There can be a lot of things that you can get caught up in. If you get caught up in things that don’t matter, rankings coming out, whatever it might be, you have no chance to go finish and play the way that you need to every single week.

“We got one opponent this week. It’s Kentucky. It’s the biggest game of the year because that’s who we play. And we need to get ready to go play and focus on what we control. When you look at past results, controlling the controllables is a major factor in winning and losing. So we need to stay focused on what matters and get ready to go play good football.”

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Tennessee coach Josh Heupel yells and points during a college football game between Tennessee and Auburn at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Monday, I asked Heupel what his team needed to do to disrupt Kentucky’s offensive success. He first mentioned that the Wildcats have a sound defense as well. They lead the Southeastern Conference with 12 passes intercepted, which pairs well with their disciplined offense for the best turnover margin in the conference.

“Their defense has created a bunch of turnovers as well,” Heupel said. “A bunch of picks, gotten their hands on the ball. That’s been a big factor in their ability to win in this league, finish games the right way. Defensively, we got to control the line of scrimmage. You got to get them into third-and-long situations. You got to get them off the field. There’s a lot of eye candy, shift, trade, motion before the snap. So communication, all three levels of the defense playing in sync will be critical in this one too.”

Saturday will be one of the most raucous environments of the season. Dark Mode is here, and the stakes are high.

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