Paul Finebaum Issues Stern Warning for Major College Football Program in 2026

Spring practices for the 2026 college football season are underway for teams across the country. Coaches and players are evaluating their performance on the field with hopes of making the necessary improvements to pursue a national championship next season.

In 2025, the Tennessee Volunteers experienced a setback after a promising season in 2024. Under the leadership of head coach Josh Heupel, the Volunteers finished the season with an 8-5 record, a decline from their 10-3 record the previous year, when they had made the College Football Playoff.

As they prepare for the 2026 season, the team faces uncertainty at the quarterback position. Last season's starter, Joey Aguilar, is no longer available due to exhaustion of eligibility. The expected frontrunners for the job are redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and five-star freshman Faizon Brandon.

However, ESPN's Paul Finebaum mentioned on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that the performance of the quarterback could significantly impact the team's season.

Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) during the Vols' first spring football practice. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think some of the questions revolve around the quarterback position," Finebaum said. "I know they brought somebody in. They have a couple of untested players on the roster. I think how that goes is going to determine whether Tennessee has a big year or sits around where they were a year ago, which I thought was fairly disappointing."

While the quarterback position is a question mark, Finebaum noted that last season's schedule revealed two significant missed opportunities caused by poor defense: the loss to the Georgia Bulldogs and against Oklahoma. He emphasized that the defense will be crucial for success in the upcoming season.

Last season, the Volunteers finished ranked No. 92 in total defense, No. 113 in passing defense, No. 73 in rushing defense and No. 92 in scoring defense. In contrast, in 2024, the Volunteers improved significantly, finishing No. 6 in total defense, No. 29 in passing yards allowed, No. 10 in rushing yards allowed and No. 7 in scoring defense.

This defensive decline played a major role in the team not returning to the playoffs and contributed to head coach Josh Heupel's decision to fire defensive coordinator Tim Banks.

If Tennessee can successfully implement the necessary improvements under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who previously served as the defensive coordinator for Ohio State's championship team in 2024 and was at Penn State last season, the team may have a chance to return to the College Football Playoff in 2026.

Additionally, if they find the right quarterback, the Volunteers could compete for their first national championship since 1998.