GoVols247: A Tennessee Volunteers athletics podcast

Is Kentucky the hardest remaining game on Tennessee's schedule? Patrick Brown, Ben McKee and Ryan Callahan discussed whether it is on the GoVols247 Podcast. The crew also discussed UT's quarterback situation heading into Saturday's top-20 showdown with the Wildcats, the importance of the Vols playing clean football, the latest on the recruiting trail and Tennessee basketball's season opener against Wofford.

(00:00) -- Tennessee better play clean football against Kentucky

(13:30) -- Is Kentucky the most difficult game remaining on UT's schedule?

(19:45) -- We don't know who is going to start at quarterback for the Vols

(24:30) -- Should Tennessee incorporate a Faizon Brandon package?

(31:38) -- The latest Tennessee football recruiting news

(35:00) -- Tennessee basketball tips off its season on Tuesday!

(38:58) -- Latest on hoops injuries

(43:52) -- Are we hitting the panic button for Vols hoops?

With no Tennessee game to preview, we turned to GoVols247 subscribers to drive the discussion during the Vols' bye week with a mailbag!

Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan took questions from The CheckerBoard on Thursday of the open date and answered them, and as usual we covered a wide range of topics. They included the future of the QB position for Tennessee beyond the season, predictions for the four-game stretch run, what the transfer portal strategy should be for the Vols and what the rest of the 2027 recruiting board looks like.

We also discussed future football scheduling, how Tennessee is addressing its penalty problem and much more, so check it out!

(1:32) -- Introduction and open date chatter

(5:18) -- Tennessee's remaining recruiting targets in 2027 cycle

(9:09) -- Predicting Tennessee's final four games

(15:54) -- How will Tennessee address its penalty problem?

(24:53) -- Why did Tennessee change philosophies on offense with its splits?

(28:32) -- The play of WR Radarious Jackson & OL Shamurad Umarov

(33:28) -- Will Tennessee stop playing FCS games?

(38:55) -- Is Tennessee's 2027 QB currently on the roster?

(44:55) -- What should Tennessee's transfer portal strategy be this offseason

(51:53) -- Staff changes for the Vols + head coaching changes in the SEC

(55:39) -- What record can be considered positive for the Vols heading into 2027?

The Tennessee football team is enjoying its first open date of the 2026 season, but recruiting never stops in college football and the Vols have made another addition to their 2027 recruiting class.

Three-star cornerback Preston Glasco out of Grayson (Ga.) High School committed to Tennessee on Wednesday night on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel, and GoVols247 breaks it down on our latest podcast.

GoVols247 recruiting editor Ryan Callahan joins Patrick Brown to discuss Glasco's recruitment and how Tennessee landed the one-time Connecticut commitment over two of its SEC rivals, what kind of player the Vols are getting and how Glasco fits into the future plans of the cornerback position.

Ryan also lets us know what Tennessee's remaining board looks like in the 2027 recruiting cycle as the coaching staff balances that part of the roster-management process along with player retention and the transfer portal.

(1:13) -- Introduction and Tennessee lands its first commitment in a while

(2:32) -- The recruiting process leading to Preston Glasco's commitment

(5:35) -- What kind of CB is Tennessee getting

(9:48) -- Why Glasco chose the Vols

(12:55) -- How Glasco fits into the future at cornerback

(19:06) -- Derek Jones & Tennessee's current freshman cornerbacks

(25:18) -- What's left on the board for Tennessee's 2027 recruiting class

(30:40) -- Final thoughts and closing comments

Tennessee football suffered an ugly loss at South Carolina on Saturday. Ben McKee, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan react to what went wrong for the Vols in Columbia yet again on the GoVols247 Postgame Show.

Tennessee heads to South Carolina this weekend looking to avoid a repeat of what took place in 2022 when it had everything to play for. The Vols will arrive in Columbia as a top-15 football team. Yet, few people outside of Knoxville are picking them to win. Even Las Vegas favors the Gamecocks.

Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee previewed the matchup on the latest GoVols247 Podcast. They were also joined by John Whittle from Gamecock247 to get more insight into South Carolina.

Tennessee fans may still be basking in the exciting, emphatic win against Third Saturday in October rival Alabama, but inside the walls of the Anderson Training Center the coaches and players for the Vols have reset to a new game week. The Vols next head to South Carolina, where promising seasons have been derailed in 1992, 2016 and 2022. Head coach Josh Heupel brought up the infamous loss at Williams-Brice Stadium four years ago to his team in their meeting on Monday.

GoVols247's Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan wrapped up some loose ends from the Alabama game, discussed Josh Heupel's QB gamesmanship on Monday when asked if George MacIntyre was the starter for the Vols and wondered how the Vols would handle the week ahead of the game against a South Carolina team coming off an open date and win at Florida.

(1:20) -- Introductions, where is Ben McKee and Ryan's Titans actually won

(4:55) -- Should Tennessee have jumped into the top 10 of the rankings?

(7:40) -- The SEC is a beautiful mess this season

(11:11) -- Revisiting Mike Matthews's crunching (but illegal) block against Bama

(16:16) -- What what Brayden Rouse thinking on that punt?

(21:03) -- Why won't Josh Heupel say George MacIntyre is the starting QB this week?

(32:54) -- Heupel brings up the 2022 South Carolina game in Monday's team meeting

(43:28) -- "Winning is fragile"

(46:10) -- The outlook for Tennessee's season has changed

(48:15) -- Vols are now the underdog in this game

Tennessee bullied Alabama in the second half of the 109th playing of The Third Saturday in October to win 26-10. The Vols allowed just 201 yards of offense to hold Alabama to its fewest points in the rivalry since 2005. Ben McKee, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan reacted to the Vols' third straight win over Alabama at home during GoVols247's live postgame show.

(2:00) -- Tennessee bullies Alabama

(6:51) -- Elite defensive performance

(12:35) -- It feels like Tennessee has established its identity

(16:00) -- Fans stormed the field again

(19:20) -- What do you do at quarterback moving forward?

(23:37) -- Vols flexed their depth

(27:16) -- DeSean Bishop is incredible

(32:47 -- So many Vols are playing well on defense

(37:05) -- Where does this coaching job rank for Josh Heupel

(43:40) -- The Neyland Effect

It is time for the 109th rendition of The Third Saturday in October. No. 14 Tennessee hosts No. 6 Alabama this Saturday afternoon inside Neyland Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Former Tennessee football wide receiver and current Vol Network color analyst Jayson Swain joined the GoVols247 Podcast to help Ben McKee preview the rivalry game. Bama247's Mike Rodak also joined to provide insight into the Crimson Tide ahead of this weekend's top-15 showdown.

(00:00) -- Jayson Swain is ready for The Third Saturday in October!

(9:30) -- What to expect from George MacIntyre

(11:45) -- Tennessee is going to need to establish the run

(14:30) -- Do Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle need to trust MacIntyre more?

(19:26) -- What we're curious to learn about Tennessee basketball in its first exhibition

(24:24) -- Bama247's Mike Rodak previews the Crimson Tide

Tennessee baseball played its first fall exhibition this past weekend against Troy in Nashville. GoVols247's Ben McKee shared his thoughts and takeaways on what took place over the 12 innings of action on his latest Diamond Vols Podcast. Troy head coach Skylar Meade also joined the podcast to share his thoughts on his team fresh off a trip to Omaha, how the exhibition went and what he saw from Josh Elander's Vols.

00:00 -- Tennessee baseball played its first fall exhibition

8:32 -- Freshman arms impressed

16:34 -- Freshman hitters also impressed

21:43 -- Negative takeaways from Tennessee's exhibition

26:20 -- UC Irvine transfer LHP Ricky Ojeda looked good

30:00 -- Injury updates

35:26 -- Troy head coach Skylar Meade joins!

Tennessee turned the page to The Third Saturday in October on Monday coming off its win at Arkansas over the weekend. Ben McKee, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan began to preview this Saturday's game between Tennessee and Alabama on GoVols247's Monday podcast. Who will start at quarterback for the Vols? What will the offensive line look like? How much does Josh Heupel need a big win? The crew discussed.

(00:00) -- The juices are always flowing during Alabama-Tennessee week

(5:13) -- Josh Heupel needs a big win

(9:05) -- Who will start at quarterback for the Vols?

(24:18) -- Which o-line combination will the Vols roll with?

(30:07) -- It'll be another big recruiting weekend for the Vols

(34:27) -- Tennessee basketball will play its first exhibition this week

Tennessee football avoided a bad loss at Arkansas on Saturday afternoon. Ben McKee and Ryan Callahan reacted to the Vols' narrow win to improve to 5-1 this season during GoVols247's postgame show. They also shared their thoughts on how George MacIntyre performed in his first career start and what it means for the Vols moving forward. GoVols247's Patrick Brown briefly joined from Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium as well to share his thoughts on Tennessee's first win in Fayetteville since 2001.

(00:00) -- Vols avoid a bad loss

(5:03) -- Tennessee grinded it out

(12:25) -- Radarious Jackson made a game-saving tackle

(14:32) -- Tennessee finished with over 400 yards of offense!

(19:04) -- George MacIntyre was really solid

(33:56) -- Patrick Brown joins LIVE from inside Arkansas' stadium

(41:47) -- Should MacIntyre start against Alabama?

(53:22) -- Assessing the defensive performance

George MacIntyre is set to make his first career start at Arkansas this Saturday, giving the sophomore quarterback a golden opportunity to take the job and run with it. Patrick Brown, Ben McKee and Ryan Callahan previewed MacIntyre's first start on GoVols247's Thursday podcast. They were also joined by Trey Biddy from http://HawgSports.com to help preview Tennessee's matchup with Arkansas.

(00:00) -- Tennessee is well aware that it hasn't won at Arkansas since 2001

(10:00) -- George MacIntyre will start at Arkansas

(27:40) -- What it would take for Faizon Brandon to play this weekend

(34:40) -- The Tennessee/Arkansas matchups to pay attention to

(38:15) -- Recruiting storylines are beginning to emerge

(48:12) -- Trey Biddy from http://HawgSports.com joins to discuss the state of Arkansas football

Josh Heupel wouldn't name a starting quarterback on Monday of Arkansas. He also grew tired of answering questions pertaining to Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre. What does it all mean? Ben McKee and Patrick Brown reacted to Heupel's quarterback conundrum on Monday's GoVols247 Podcast.

Tennessee football was able to beat Auburn on Saturday afternoon even though Josh Heupel had to bench Faizon Brandon after the freshman threw a costly interception late in the first half. The Vols were able to win their first conference game of the season because its defense continued to state its case as one of the best in the SEC and a career day for Faizon Brandon. Punter Jackson Ross was able to pin Auburn deep time and time again to help the cause.

Ben McKee and Patrick Brown discussed Tennessee's win over Auburn on GoVols247's LIVE postgame reaction show.

Tennessee football received bad news this week when it learned it will be without starting offensive guard Wendell Moe Jr. for the rest of the season. The injury adds to the issues the Vols were already dealing with up front, so how can they overcome them against Auburn on Saturday? Ben McKee, Patrick Brown and Ryan Callahan shared their thoughts on the situation on GoVols247's Thursday podcast.

Nathan King from Auburn247 also joined to preview the Tigers and the matchup ahead of Alex Golesh's return to Knoxville.

(00:00) -- Saturday is a must-win for Tennessee

(7:35) -- Vols lose Wendell Moe Jr. for the season

(15:08) -- What does Tennessee do next along the o-line?

(29:32) -- Confidence in Tennessee's defense

(35:30) -- DJ Durkin will try to defend Faizon Brandon like he did Jared Curtis

(39:20) -- Do you trust Brandon or Byrum Brown more?

(48:00) -- Our level of confidence that Tennessee will win

(50:15) -- Auburn247's Nathan King

Ben McKee and Patrick Brown shared their thoughts on what went wrong for Tennessee's offense against Texas on Monday's GoVols247 Podcast, as the Vols begin to prepare for a critical game against Auburn.

(00:00) -- Auburn week is underway

(2:22) -- Apparently Tennessee's onside kick was illegal

(8:49) -- Biggest takeaway from going back and watching the film

(13:20) -- Who gets most of the blame on offense?

(43:31) -- Is it a good or bad thing that the offensive performance wasn't because of one player or group?

(51:51) -- The offensive line is poorly coached

Tennessee struggled to move the football against No. 1 Texas on Saturday, leading to a 20-17 loss for the Vols inside Neyland Stadium. Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee reacted to Tennessee's loss and discussed what went wrong for UT's offense on GoVols247's LIVE postgame show.

(00:00) -- Tennessee loses to No. 1 Texas

(4:53) -- Vols offensive line had a long day

(11:28) -- Why didn't Tennessee attempt for quick stuff?

(15:26) -- Faizon Brandon finally looked like a freshman

(21:26) -- Is there any concern about Tennessee's running backs?

(26:10) -- What about the wide receivers?

(38:23) -- Jim Knowles earned his money

(49:10) -- Neyland Stadium didn't disappoint

Patrick Brown, Ryan Callahan and Ben McKee previewed Tennessee's game against No. 1 Texas on the latest GoVols247 Podcast. They were also joined by Horn247's Eric Henry for a breakdown of the matchup from the Longhorns' perspective.

Tennessee baseball begins fall practice on Friday! It'll be the first time Josh Elander is the head coach of the Vols for the entire fall. Elander was kind enough to join Ben McKee on GoVols247's Diamond Vols Podcast to preview fall practice. Here's what they covered.

(00:00) -- The Austin, Texas native shares his thoughts on Texas vs. Tennessee

(3:14) -- Where Elander got away to after the portal madness

(4:42) -- The key to balancing work and family

(7:22) -- Why Tennessee was able to put together a talented roster this offseason

(11:56) -- What he learned about himself in year one as a head coach

(13:53) -- Where the pitching staff is at entering the fall

(20:23) -- Stone Lawless, Trent Grindlinger and Levi Clark all decided to return at catcher

(24:02) -- Recruiting three talented shortstops out of the portal

(26:00) -- Thoughts on the outfield

(28:37) -- His philosophy on Tennessee's fall schedule

(33:09) -- UNIFORM TALK

Tennessee basketball begins practice on Tuesday! First-year Vols assistant coach Earl Grant joined Ben McKee on the GoVols247 podcast to preview the start of practice.

(1:25) -- What Grant's first summer in Knoxville was like

(5:08) -- Learning from Rick Barnes

(7:32) -- What it will look like to be Barnes' defensive coordinator

(9:52) -- What he's learned about Tennessee's roster

(12:14) -- The most important part of preseason practice

(13:44) -- Where the team's chemistry is at

(16:12) -- Assessing Tennessee's frontcourt

(18:26) -- How big a loss Ralph Scott was

(20:03) -- Juke Harris and Terrence Hill Jr.