I flip script, let readers give answers on Tennessee football | Adams

My literary contributors often ask questions. For example, here’s one: “As long as you have been writing, why haven’t you got any better?”

Eventually, I will. Just give me time.

But this week, I’m flipping the script and asking questions of my readers. I polled 50-or-so – or was it 20-or-so (who’s counting?) literary contributors on the following questions:

Which of these four teams is Tennessee most likely to upset?

Texas, Alabama, Texas A&M or LSU were the options. Alabama was the overwhelming choice. And I agree.

The Tide are slipping in the NIL era. Tennessee isn’t.

Moreover, the Vols have gotten the best of the Tide in their last two meetings at Neyland Stadium.

Which of these four teams is most likely to upset Tennessee?

Georgia Tech, Arkansas, South Carolina or Vanderbilt were the options.

The Yellow Jackets got the most votes – probably for a couple of reasons.

Most notably, Tennessee freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon will be making his first start against an FBS opponent. Also, it will be his first road game.

South Carolina received the second-most votes. The Vols must travel to Williams-Brice Stadium, where they have lost six of their past eight games.

Arkansas also was mentioned as the team most likely to upset Tennessee. That game is in Fayetteville, where the Razorbacks have a four-game winning streak against UT.

Vanderbilt was the only one of the four teams that no one picked. That’s another reminder that Diego Pavia has left the building.

What two Vols have the best chance of making first-team All-SEC?

Running back DeSean Bishop, who surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark last season, received the most support. Offensive tackle David Sanders and receiver Braylon Staley tied for second.

I would favor Sanders, offensive guard Wendell Moe and cornerback Ty Redmond for first-team All-SEC honors. Bishop and Staley will have considerable competition in a league that is strong at running back and wide receiver.

Who is most likely to be UT’s third-most productive wide receiver behind Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews?

Never mind that freshman wide receivers aren’t usually prominent in Josh Heupel’s offense. My readers picked TK Keys by a huge margin. Sophomore Radarius Jackson was second.

Their choice of Keys is hardly shocking. He was the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class.  

Who will be Tennessee’s next most productive running back behind DeSean Bishop?

The options were Daune Morris or Tulane transfer Javin Gordon.

Morris, who had a 99-yard touchdown in UT's first preseason scrimmage, won by a large margin. However, both should factor into the running game since Heupel has relied on three running backs in the past.

Gordon rushed for 516 yards last season. Morris played sparingly but flashed the ability to make defenders miss.

With Bishop leading the way, this could be a position of strength.

Will Cooper Ranvier make a higher percentage of kicks than Max Gilbert?

Most readers expect Ranvier to be an improvement over Gilbert, who hit on 73.7% of his field-goal attempts but failed on some crucial kicks. Two readers answered: “I hope so.”

Gilbert transferred to Arkansas after last season, so Tennessee fans can make a head-to-head comparison Oct. 10 when the Vols and Razorbacks play in Fayetteville.

Will Tennessee’s quarterback pass for at least 3,000 yards this season?

Most readers said he would. That might be overly optimistic, though.

ADAMS: Tyreek King, TK Keys could give Tennessee football something extra

I wouldn’t expect Brandon to come close to Joey Aguilar’s 3,565 yards last season. But he could surpass Nico Iamaleava, who passed for 2,616 yards in his only season as a Tennessee starter (2024).

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: I flip script, let readers give answers on Tennessee football | Adams