‘That benefit of the doubt has been earned’ — National outlet predicts where Tennessee will land in preseason AP Poll
One writer thinks the Vols will get a relatively favorable opening ranking by the media.
The Tennessee Vols begin their quest to return to the College Football Playoff in just under three weeks, with Furman on deck at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5. There’s still plenty to work out for Tennessee before then, with the quarterback battle between George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon still undecided and taking center stage.
With that said, what is Tennessee’s outlook for 2026? Beyond breaking in a new QB, what do those outside the program believe is the starting point and potential ceiling for the Vols in 2026?
Coaches around the country weighed in already, tabbing Tennessee at No. 18 in the preseason Coaches Poll. And that’s right where CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson believes the Vols will be ranked in the preseason AP Poll, which will be released on Monday.
CBS Sports’ Chip Patterson predicts Tennessee to land at No. 18 in preseason AP Poll
“The benefit of the doubt is being afforded to Josh Heupel and Tennessee as the Vols look to bounce back from an 8-win campaign that is now viewed as a ‘down year’ in Knoxville,” Patterson wrote. “Tennessee may have an ongoing quarterback battle between two inexperienced options, but the consistency of Heupel’s offense and the talent level of the program has set a top-20 standard that’s going to be the expectation even with some burning questions. That benefit of the doubt has been earned — Tennessee has won 73.1% of its games since the start of the 2022 season (38-14) with a different starting quarterback each year.”
Even though the coaches believed it — and even though Patterson believes the Vols’ body of work has been strong over the last four years to warrant such a placement — 18 feels perhaps a bit optimistic for Tennessee, who started off last year at 24 in the media poll.
With nothing to go on yet, preseason polls are based on perception from returning/acquired talent plus potential for a strong season, and it’s a bit tough to see the media being that bullish on the Vols with the questions they have to answer in 2026. Tennessee has plenty of talent on offense, but question marks loom on a rebuilt defense under first-year DC Jim Knowles, particularly with a lack of a top-tier pass rusher and plenty of new pieces in the secondary.
We’ll find out soon enough, with the poll set to drop on Monday.
