College football coaches just made a loud statement about the Tennessee Vols in preseason poll
Tennessee knows where they’ll start their 2026 season, and it’s in a familiar place.
The Tennessee Vols haven’t been getting a lot of love on the national scale this year among the media and talking heads. That’s not too surprising given the way the 2025 season ended, with Tennessee being unable to get Joey Aguilar back for one more season, and with the Vols relying on a talented but unproven freshman quarterback this season.
However, college football coaches around the country had a different take on Josh Heupel’s team this season.
The 2026 preseason Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday, and the Vols found themselves at No. 18.
Tennessee ranked No. 18 in 2026 preseason Coaches Poll
Tennessee was the eighth SEC team in the rankings. Six of the top 11 teams in the poll are from the conference. It’s right where the Vols started off last year in the Coaches Poll as well, which was six spots higher than they started in the AP Poll.
Much of the national media has tabbed the Vols as a fringe top 25 team in power rankings and/or offseason polls coming into the 2026 season. For example, they were No. 25 in ESPN’s preseason rankings.
But beyond the quarterback position, Tennessee has plenty of proven talent, and that is especially the case with their offensive playmakers. DeSean Bishop looks like a Greek God after an offseason with new strength & conditioning coach Derek Owings (as do many other players), and the Vols’ pass catching quartet of wide receivers Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews, and TK Keys along with tight end Ethan Davis has as much upside as perhaps any group in the nation. And that will also help elevate the winner of the George MacIntyre/Faizon Brandon quarterback battle during the season as well.
There’s a lot to like about Tennessee this fall. And it appears as though those who are the most directly tied to the sport see that as well.
