Why Tennessee Football can Exceed Expectations at 9-3

Tennessee Volunteers eye a standout football season as optimism surges—can Josh Heupel’s squad outperform projections and SEC skeptics? With key returners like DeSean Bishop at running back, breakout receivers Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews, and an experienced offensive line, Tennessee’s offense looks ready to support young quarterbacks George MacIntyre or Faizon Brandon. Eric Cain spotlights the Volunteers’ potential on both sides of the ball, dissecting defensive upgrades under new coordinator Jim Knowles and the question marks surrounding the pass rush after losing Chaz Coleman. Are 8-4 or even 7-5 records more realistic, given a challenging SEC schedule and untested quarterback play? The conversation also celebrates Byron Young’s rise as an NFL Top 100 for Tennessee, closing with a look at fan mailbag questions and what it will take for the Volunteers to break through in 2026 SEC football.   Catch Locked on Vols, wherever you find your podcasts. ▶️https://linktr.ee/cainer Subscribe to the Locked on Vols EveryDayer Club ▶️ https://lockedonvols.supercast.com/ Neyland Press Corps Substack ▶️ https://neylandpress.substack.com/ For your next listen, check out the Locked On College Football podcast! From NIL deals to never ending conference realignment rumors, Spencer McLaughlin gets you ready for an exciting season on the gridiron!  Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY Have your cake & drink it too. Birthday cake-flavor is back, no fork needed. Vanilla-y cakey flavor, caffeinated kick, and no sugar. It's party time. Order Now at https://5-hourENERGY.com or Amazon.   Mazda Like our players, we’re driven by the details. Because highlights make the reel. What it takes to get there makes it count. There’s more to a Mazda. Because there’s more to you. Turbo Tax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life.  Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today.    Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast   FanDuel Today’s episode is sponsored by FanDuel. The Winter Games are on. And there’s no better way to follow them than with a bet on FanDuel. FanDuel - Play your game.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.