Sept. 4, 2026, 3:01 p.m. ET
Tennessee will kick off its sixth football season under head coach Josh Heupel in 2026. From 2021-25, he has guided the Vols to a 45-20 (24-16 SEC) record, one College Football Playoff appearance and four bowl games.
Beginning in 2026, Tennessee will play Alabama, Kentucky and Vanderbilt as permanent opponents. Each SEC school will have three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents for the next four years. The Vols will host Furman, Kennesaw State, Texas, Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and LSU, while playing at Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt during their 2026 campaign.
Below are 2026 football game predictions for Tennessee, SEC starting quarterbacks and SEC schedules. 2026 Tennessee football game-by-game predictions Date Opponent Projection Sept. 5 Furman (Knoxville, Tennessee) W Sept. 12 Georgia Tech (Atlanta, Georgia) W Sept. 19 Kennesaw State (Knoxville, Tennessee) W Sept. 26 Texas (Knoxville, Tennessee) L Oct.
3 Auburn (Knoxville, Tennessee) W Oct. 10 Arkansas (Fayetteville, Arkansas) W Oct. 17 Alabama (Knoxville, Tennessee) W Oct.
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24 South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina) L Oct. 31 Open date Nov. 7 Kentucky (Knoxville, Tennessee) W Nov. 14 Texas A&M (College Station, Texas) L Nov. 21 LSU (Knoxville, Tennessee) L Nov.
28 Vanderbilt (Nashville, Tennessee) W 2026 SEC football starting quarterbacks School Name Class H-W Alabama Keelon Russell Sophomore 6-3, 207 lbs. Arkansas KJ Jackson Junior 6-4, 225 lbs. Auburn Byrum Brown Senior 6-3, 235 lbs. Florida Aaron Philo Junior 6-1, 207 lbs.
Georgia Gunner Stockton Fifth year 6-1, 215 lbs. Kentucky Kenny Minchey Senior 6-2, 211 lbs.
LSU Sam Leavitt Redshirt junior 6-2, 207 lbs. Mississippi State Kamario Taylor Sophomore 6-4, 230 lbs.
Missouri Austin Simmons Senior 6-4, 220 lbs. Oklahoma John Mateer Fifth year 6-1, 224 lbs.
Ole Miss Trinidad Chambliss Fifth year+ 6-0, 210 lbs. South Carolina LaNorris Sellers Redshirt junior 6-3, 238 lbs.
Tennessee Faizon Brandon Freshman 6-4, 225 lbs. Texas Arch Manning Senior 6-4, 222 lbs. Texas A&M Marcel Reed Redshirt sophomore 6-1, 185 lbs. Vanderbilt Blaze Berlowitz Senior 6-3, 200 lbs. Classifications, height and weight for student-athletes are referenced from each school’s official roster.
2026 SEC football schedules for every team Alabama Crimson Tide September 5: versus East Carolina September 12: at Kentucky September 19: versus Florida State September 26: versus South Carolina October 3: at Mississippi State October 10: versus Georgia October 17: at Tennessee October 24: versus Texas A&M November 7: at LSU November 14: at Vanderbilt November 21: versus Chattanooga November 28: versus Auburn Arkansas Razorbacks September 5: versus North Alabama September 12: at Utah September 19: versus Georgia September 26: versus Tulsa October 3: at Texas A&M October 10: versus Tennessee October 17: at Vanderbilt October 31: versus Missouri November 7: at Auburn November 14: versus South Carolina November 21: at Texas November 28: versus LSU Auburn Tigers September 5: versus Baylor (Atlanta, Georgia) September 12: versus Southern Miss September 19: versus Florida September 26: versus Vanderbilt October 3: at Tennessee October 17: at Georgia October 24: versus LSU October 31: at Ole Miss November 7: versus Arkansas November 14: at Mississippi State November 21: versus Samford November 28: at Alabama Florida Gators September 5: versus Florida Atlantic September 12: versus Campbell September 19: at Auburn September 26: versus Ole Miss October 3: at Missouri October 10: versus South Carolina October 17: at Texas October 31: versus Georgia (Atlanta, Georgia) November 7: versus Oklahoma November 14: at Kentucky November 21: versus Vanderbilt November 28: at Florida State Georgia Bulldogs September 5: versus Tennessee State September 12: versus Western Kentucky (WKU) September 19: at Arkansas September 26: versus Oklahoma October 3: versus Vanderbilt October 10: at Alabama October 17: versus Auburn October 31: versus Florida (Atlanta, Georgia) November 7: at Ole Miss November 14: versus Missouri November 21: at South Carolina November 28: versus Georgia Tech Kentucky Wildcats September 5: versus Youngstown State September 12: versus Alabama September 19: at Texas A&M September 26: versus South Alabama October 3: at South Carolina October 10: versus LSU October 17: at Oklahoma October 24: versus Vanderbilt November 7: at Tennessee November 14: versus Florida November 21: at Missouri November 28: versus Louisville LSU Tigers September 5: versus Clemson September 12: versus Louisiana Tech September 19: at Ole Miss September 26: versus Texas A&M October 3: versus McNeese State October 10: at Kentucky October 17: versus Mississippi State October 24: at Auburn November 7: versus Alabama November 14: versus Texas November 21: at Tennessee November 28: at Arkansas Mississippi State Bulldogs September 5: versus ULM September 12: at Minnesota September 19: at South Carolina September 26: versus Missouri October 3: versus Alabama October 17: at LSU October 24: versus Oklahoma October 31: at Texas November 7: versus Vanderbilt November 14: versus Auburn November 21: versus Tennessee Tech November 27: at Ole Miss Missouri Tigers September 5: versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff September 12: at Kansas September 19: versus Troy September 26: at Mississippi State October 3: versus Florida October 10: versus Texas A&M October 17: at Ole Miss October 31: at Arkansas November 7: versus Texas November 14: at Georgia November 21: versus Kentucky November 28: versus Oklahoma Ole Miss Rebels September 5: versus Louisville (Nashville, Tennessee) September 12: versus Charlotte September 19: versus LSU September 26: at Florida October 10: at Vanderbilt October 17: versus Missouri October 24: at Texas October 31: versus Auburn November 7: versus Georgia November 14: at Oklahoma November 21: versus Wofford November 27: versus Mississippi State Oklahoma Sooners September 5: versus UTEP September 12: at Michigan September 19: versus New Mexico September 26: at Georgia October 10: versus Texas (Dallas, Texas) October 17: versus Kentucky October 24: at Mississippi State October 31: versus South Carolina November 7: at Florida November 14: versus Ole Miss November 21: versus Texas A&M November 28: at Missouri South Carolina Gamecocks September 5: versus Kent State September 12: versus Towson September 19: versus Mississippi State September 26: at Alabama October 3: versus Kentucky October 10: at Florida October 24: versus Tennessee October 31: at Oklahoma November 7: versus Texas A&M November 14: at Arkansas November 21: versus Georgia November 28: at Clemson Tennessee Volunteers September 5: versus Furman September 12: at Georgia Tech September 19: versus Kennesaw State September 26: versus Texas October 3: versus Auburn October 10: at Arkansas October 17: versus Alabama October 24: at South Carolina November 7: versus Kentucky November 14: at Texas A&M November 21: versus LSU November 28: at Vanderbilt Texas Longhorns September 5: versus Texas State September 12: versus Ohio State September 19: versus UTSA September 26: at Tennessee October 10: versus Oklahoma (Dallas, Texas) October 17: versus Florida October 24: versus Ole Miss October 31: versus Mississippi State November 7: at Missouri November 14: at LSU November 21: versus Arkansas November 27: at Texas A&M Texas A&M Aggies September 5: versus Missouri State September 12: versus Arizona State September 19: versus Kentucky September 26: at LSU October 3: versus Arkansas October 10: at Missouri October 17: versus The Citadel October 24: at Alabama November 7: at South Carolina November 14: versus Tennessee November 21: at Oklahoma November 27: versus Texas Vanderbilt Commodores September 5: versus Austin Peay September 12: versus Delaware September 19: versus North Carolina State September 26: at Auburn October 3: at Georgia October 10: versus Ole Miss October 17: versus Arkansas October 24: at Kentucky November 7: at Mississippi State November 14: versus Alabama November 21: at Florida November 28: versus Tennessee Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
