The 2026 Vols are starting to look a lot like one of Tennessee’s most underrated teams
The 2026 Tennessee Vols could end up being a surprise team like one of the most underrated teams in UT football history.
The 2026 Tennessee Vols might end up reminding fans of one of the most underappreciated teams in program history. The more you look at this roster and the circumstances surrounding it, the more the parallels to the 2004 Vols start to jump out.
And that 2004 Tennessee team doesn’t get enough love in general.
Tennessee entered that 2004 season without massive expectations, largely because of a weird quarterback situation. The Vols were rolling with co-true freshmen in Brent Schaeffer and Erik Ainge, and that just wasn’t something you saw a lot at the time. The battle played out early into the season, and Ainge eventually became the guy.
Close games went Tennessee’s way. The win against Florida with the game-winning James Wilhoit field goal. One of the more low-key Tennessee-over-Alabama wins ever. A close road game against Ole Miss. A low stress win in Columbia. An upset win against No. 3 Georgia in Athens. Classic blowout wins against Kentucky and Vandy.
The only blemishes were two losses to a really good Auburn team that, in the playoff era, probably would have been one of the top three seeds. Auburn was a championship-caliber team that season. And then there was the Ainge injury at Notre Dame. Take those things away, and the Vols were right on the cusp of being a truly elite team.
That 2004 season should be mentioned alongside the way people talk about the 2022 team, in a lot of senses. Both were teams that exceeded expectations and delivered memorable moments, even if neither ended with a championship.
I think that’s how this 2026 Tennessee team could end up being viewed. The Vols are heading into the season with true freshmen in key roles and without any hype nationally. The circumstances feel familiar. 2004 ended up being pretty special, maybe 2026 ends up feeling similar.
