Former Vols kicker Max Gilbert, who is now at Arkansas, leaves no doubt on how he feels about his time at Tennessee
Max Gilbert spent the first three seasons of his career at Tennessee before transferring to Arkansas.
Former Tennessee Vols kicker Max Gilbert landed with the Arkansas Razorbacks earlier this year after entering the NCAA transfer portal following the 2025 season.
Gilbert, who spent the first three seasons of his career at Tennessee, experienced one of the toughest moments of his career with the Vols last season.
The Memphis native missed a field goal that would’ve given Tennessee its first win over Georgia since 2016.
Gilbert’s kick, however, sailed wide right.
It was a tough moment for Tennessee fans, but it was even tougher for Gilbert, who not only had to deal with the disappointment of missing the kick, but also the negativity that was sent his way by some fans.
No one wanted to make that kick more than Gilbert. And if he had it to do over again, he probably makes it. But he’s far from the first kicker to miss a game-winning kick and he certainly won’t be the last.
Max Gilbert reflects on his time at Tennessee
Gilbert, who will face the Vols this fall when Tennessee visits Fayetteville on October 10, recently joined Hogs + for a sit-down interview.
The former Vol quickly made it clear that he has nothing but fond memories of Tennessee.
“I love it to death,” said Gilbert when asked about Tennessee. “Knoxville is an unbelievable place. I’ll never say anything bad about the staff or the people. It truly was an unbelievable opportunity to play for a program like that, and I’ll always love Knoxville and that program.”
Gilbert said one of his favorite memories from Tennessee came in 2024 when he connected on a 41-yard field goal to give the Vols a 24-17 lead over Alabama.
Tennessee defensive back Will Brooks intercepted Jalen Milroe on the next play after the field goal to seal the win for the Vols.
“My (redshirt) freshman year we played Alabama at home,” said Gilbert. “And I hit a field goal in the fourth quarter to put us up seven, and then we got an interception on the next play to ice the game — shout out Will Brooks. That was crazy. They stormed the field.”
Louisville transfer Cooper Ranvier, a redshirt sophomore from Lexington, KY, will handle kicking duties for Tennessee in 2026 with Gilbert now at Arkansas.
