How Much of a Threat is Tennessee to Texas in 2026?

Texas fans are well aware of the chaos that ensued last season.

The Longhorns entered the 2025 season in the best possible position — right at the top in the preseason AP Top 25 and the favorite to win the national championship. But unfortunately for Texas, that lofty expectation ultimately unraveled, as the Longhorns finished a disappointing 10-3 and narrowly missed the College Football Playoff.

And much of Texas' playoff perils derived from an early-season loss to unranked Florida. Despite having three top-15 wins on their resume, that defeat lingered over the Longhorns for the rest of the season and likely eliminated their chances at a College Football Playoff berth.

Now, Texas faces another early SEC road test in 2026 against the Tennessee Volunteers on Sept. 26 in Knoxville. Could the Volunteers, similarly to the Gators last season, derail Texas before conference play even fully takes shape?

On paper, Texas enters 2026 as the more complete team and a legitimate national championship contender. Tennessee, meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing 8-5 season and is still searching for answers at quarterback.

But completely writing off Josh Heupel’s team would be a mistake.

Tennessee Still Has Enough Talent to Create Problems

Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop (18) carries the ball during warm-ups. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Yes, Tennessee may not be among the SEC’s elite, but the Volunteers absolutely possess the talent to challenge nearly anyone in the conference. The upside is evident throughout the roster.

Tennessee returns one of the SEC’s better offensive lines, headlined by standout tackle David Sanders Jr. and several other experienced starters up front. That talented group could become the foundation of Tennessee’s offense, especially with star running back DeSean Bishop returning after rushing for more than 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2025.

Receivers Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley also return for the Vols and are expected to be critical pieces in a potentially explosive offense -- at least if the quarterback scenario pans out well.

Defensively, Tennessee made one of the biggest coordinator hires of the offseason by bringing in Jim Knowles from Penn State. Knowles has consistently fielded elite defenses throughout his career and immediately upgrades a Tennessee defense that struggled badly in 2025.

The Volunteers also aggressively rebuilt their defense through the portal, bringing in multiple former Penn State defenders, including edge Chaz Coleman and linebacker Amare Campbell. They also brought in some extra help in the secondary with experienced veterans like TJ Metcalf from Michigan and Kayin Lee from Auburn.

Simply put, Tennessee still has enough talent to create problems for almost anyone in the SEC.

However, quarterback remains likely the most glaring and concerning issue for the Vols. After missing on some big transfer portal targets in Sam Leavitt and Ty Simpson and losing Joey Aguilar amid a big eligibility fiasco, the Volunteers are expected to turn to either redshirt freshman George MacIntyre or elite freshman recruit Faizon Brandon.

And that is where the matchup begins to tilt heavily toward the Longhorns.

While there’s potential upside to both MacIntyre and Brandon, Texas clearly has the more complete roster and far more stability at quarterback with Arch Manning. The Longhorns also completely revamped their offense via the portal with Cam Coleman, Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, giving Manning one of the SEC’s most explosive supporting casts.

All that to say, while Tennessee certainly has enough talent to give Texas plenty of trouble, the Longhorns should possess the better roster and experience overall to take an early SEC matchup in Knoxville.

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