Tennessee locks up two of their best young players for the 2026 season

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Tennessee locks up two of their best young players for the 2026 season

It’s sad that we have to type words like these nowadays, but…well, we do. That’s life in college sports in 2026.

But hey! At least the news is good here. Tennessee, per On3 Sports, will indeed have two of their best young players back next season, one on each side of the ball.

Linebacker Edwin Spillman and WR Braylon Staley will both be back in Knoxville for 2026.

Spillman, a redshirt freshman, finished as the leading tackler among all freshman (true and redshirt) in the SEC this season with 80 tackles. His best game came in the win at Kentucky, where he totaled 15 tackles. He had nine tackles, a half sack and half tackle for loss, and an interception in the loss to Oklahoma. He also had at least seven tackles in three of his last four games.

Spillman attacks the hole with good burst and isn’t shy about sticking his nose in there.

With Arion Carter off to the NFL, Spillman should be penciled into one of the starting linebacker spots next season alongside Penn State transfer Amare Campbell in Jim Knowles’ defense.

Chris Brazzell II might have earned more accolades and received more national attention (all of which was deserved, to be clear), but Staley was a big part of the Tennessee offense in 2025.

Staley earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors last year from the AP and coaches, as he took a huge step forward in his first full season with the Vols. After appearing in four games and redshirting in 2024, Staley appeared in all 13 games this year. He led the team in catches (68) and was second in receiving yards (836) and receiving touchdowns (6). He, along with Brazzell and Mike Matthews, formed the only SEC receiving trio to top 600 receiving yards each going into the Florida game, and as they all finished at 800+ each, I’m willing to be they’re the only trio to reach that mark as well.

With Staley, Matthews, and now Tristen Keys coming into the fold, the Vols are positioned to remain explosive in the passing game for years to come.

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