By THEO COLLI

The Vols’ offense is preparing for a turnover this offseason, with fifth-year  quarterback Joey Aguilar primed to leave the university after this season. 

Five-star recruit Faizon Brandon joins the team for the 2026 season after committing to Tennessee last summer. He returned from injury to play in the playoffs for his high school this last weekend.

The Vols’ top-ranked commit missed the majority of his senior year after going down with an injury in the first contest of the season for Grimsley High School.

Despite playing just one game, Brandon didn’t miss a beat in his return, and he only needed one half to put up a full game’s worth of stats.

In two quarters, Brandon went 12 for 14 with 227 yards in the air, accounting for three touchdowns en route to the team’s 42-7 playoff win.

Grimsley advances to Round 3 in their respective bracket, and the return of Brandon only heightens the ceiling. 

On the other side of the football, linebacker recruit TJ White, from Jackson, Miss., has helped boost his team past the semifinals round during his school’s 35-0 win.

White was everywhere as he has been all season long for Jackson Academy. During the playoff game, White delivered five total tackles, with three of them being for loss. That brings his total number of tackles for loss to 22 on the season over 11 games.

While he had no sacks, his eight total tackles, as well as an additional quarterback hurry, helped advance his team to the next round.

Staying on the defensive side, for Kell High School, Brayden Rouse continued to deliver the big hits as his school defeated Hampton High School in a 35-14 win.

Rouse added two more tackles for a loss during the playoff win. He was just a tackle shy of tying his season high total of tackles, as he finished the night with 10. 

Rouse continues to display his ability to make plays happen on either side of the field. He posted three catches for 55 yards, moving his season total to 433 receiving yards. While being more notable defensively, it can’t go unnoticed that this guy can move around the field.

While the position of Groves according to the recruiting sites marks him as a defensive edge, the senior was active on both offense and defense en route to East Robertson’s win over Peabody last weekend.

Defensively, Groves still made his mark with eight total tackles, bringing the season total to 71. 

Yet the numbers don’t begin to pop off the page until it flips to offensive stats. Groves, as a running back, finished the game with 207 yards on the ground over 19 carries. Both numbers served as career highs for Groves. 

One run went for 99 yards, and Groves tallied three touchdowns on the day. 

The Vols had an emphasis on adding to the trenches when it came to this recruiting class. Albert is a 305-pound linemen out of Mississippi, and while his numbers haven't been eye-popping, the frame gives him the potential to make waves at any level.

During the last contest, his Jackson Academy beat Madison-Ridgeland Academy, 35-0, Albert added two more total tackles to his season numbers.

While it was one of Albert’s quieter games of the year, he still holds 50 total tackles this season with 5.5 tackles for loss.