Matt Johnson
The biggest storyline surrounding the Tennessee Volunteers football team this spring centers on the quarterback battle to determine who will be the starter in Week 1. While a decision on that is months away, there have been others standing out as of late.
In his yearly piece highlighting notable performances from the spring games, Pete Nakos of On3.com, Volunteers running back Javin Gordon and cornerback Kayin Lee both made the list.
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Gordon, standing at 5-foot-10, spent his freshman season with the Tulane Green Wave and finished 2025 with 516 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on 128 carries. He then entered the college football transfer portal this offseason, committing to Tennessee to serve as a complementary piece behind DeSean Bishop next season.
With Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis gone, Josh Heupel and the Volunteers coaching staff are looking for who can fill in the secondary roles in the backfield behind Bishop. For Gordon and Deuce Morris, it can be a worthwhile role as Thomas cleared 100 carries last year and Lewis had 74 touches.
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Lee was another addition for Tennessee in the college football transfer portal. He’s quickly emerging as a standout player on the perimeter, who can both excel in coverage and is willing to lower his shoulder and deliver big hits.
The emergence of Lee is particularly important for Volunteers defensive coordinator William Inge, who needs a quality No. 2 option at cornerback opposite sophomore Ty Redmond.
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For now, it remains to be determined who will be the Volunteers’ starting quarterback this season, and a decision was never going to be made after the spring game. What matters right now for Tennessee is that they appear to have two very good cornerbacks and much-needed depth at running back for the 2026 season.
