Texas vs. Tennessee: The Matchups That Will Decide the Game

Most of the offseason conversation surrounding the Texas Longhorns centers on a relatively clear goal: the pursuit of the program’s first national championship since 2005.

Considering the plethora of talent on the roster and a second full season of Arch Manning under center, Texas appears to have all the pieces necessary to return to the biggest stage in college football.

And by the time the Longhorns travel to Knoxville for their first SEC game of the season against Tennessee on Sept. 26, Texas will already have faced likely its biggest hurdle of the season in Ohio State just two weeks earlier.

But that is not to say that the difficulty suddenly ends there, as the Longhorns will certainly have their hands full with a talented Tennessee bunch. Here are two matchups that could ultimately decide the game.

Texas’ Wide Receiver Room vs. Tennessee’s Secondary

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) celebrates a first down. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Talk about strength-on-strength football.

Texas may very well have the best receiver room in the country entering 2026 in Cam Coleman, Ryan Wingo and Emmett Mosley. Kaliq Lockett, Sterling Berkhalter and Michael Terry also look to be reliable options behind them, giving the Longhorns explosive-play potential all over the field.

Fortunately for Tennessee, the Volunteers completely rebuilt their secondary this offseason after the unit struggled mightily last season, ranking 14th in the SEC in both scoring defense and total defense.

So naturally, new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles brought in some heavy investment through the portal, including defensive backs like Kayin Lee, TJ Metcalf, Qua Moss and Dejuan Lane. Combined with returning standouts Ty Redmond and Edrees Farooq, Tennessee suddenly looks much deeper and far more athletic on the back end.

Of course, any opponent understands that Texas has all the firepower in the world to overwhelm defenses vertically, especially if Sarkisian fully unleashes Manning’s downfield arm talent. But Tennessee’s revamped secondary appears far more equipped to survive those matchups than it was a year ago.

If the Vols can limit explosive plays and hold up well in coverage, they dramatically improve their chances of keeping the game close.

Texas’ Pash Rush vs. Whoever Starts at Quarterback

Texas Longhorns defensive end Colin Simmons (1) celebrates with the golden hat following the Red River Rivalry. | SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

To be frank, if quarterback play for Tennessee is subpar, then Texas looks fully capable of pulling out a win in Knoxville. The Longhorns have a defense that’s capable of smothering any young quarterback at will.

And this pass rush looks terrifying.

Colin Simmons already arguably looks like one of the best defensive players in the country entering 2026, and new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp is expected to fully unleash Simmons within a more aggressive defensive scheme. That should only elevate his impact.

And Simmons is hardly alone. Lance Jackson and Brad Spence both flashed major upside in 2025, and the group has depth for days. Inside, Hero Kanu and massive Arkansas transfer Ian Geffrard give Texas plenty of power to collapse the pocket from the interior.

And Tennessee still doesn’t know what the quarterback situation will look like entering next season. Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and five-star freshman Faizon Brandon are to battle for the starting job throughout the offseason, but as of right now, there’s no clear headliner.

So, to put it plainly, Texas has plenty of power to create issues for the young Tennessee quarterback. And if Simmons and company consistently create pressure and force Tennessee into obvious passing situations, this matchup should lean heavily in favor of the Longhorns.

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