Tennessee football’s 2026 SEC opponent, Auburn, has been gashed in the transfer portal so far. Ever since former Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh took over, it’s been an exodus to the portal. The latest is five-star freshman quarterback Deuce Knight, according to On3.
Knight just rounded out his first season at Auburn, playing in two games and making one start. Against Ball State off the bench, he completed 2-of-5 passes for 20 yards. In his start against Mercer, he completed 15-of-20 throws for 239 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. He also ran for 162 yards and four touchdowns on nine attempts in that start.
As a recruit, Knight was a five-star prospect, according to 247 Composite rankings. He was considered the No. 28 player in the class, No. 5 quarterback and top-ranked player from Mississippi in the cycle.
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This does open up a clear path for Auburn to potentially land a top quarterback transfer, though. Golesh’s USF star signal caller, Byrum Brown, entered the transfer portal and was naturally tied to the Tigers right away. With Knight departing, it’d make a lot of sense if he did reunite with his former head coach on The Plains.
No matter who is at quarterback for Auburn, they will head to Neyland Stadium in 2026 to square off with Tennessee. The Vols and Tigers will meet on Oct. 3 in Knoxville, marking the second SEC game of the season for UT. The matchup will feature multiple former coaches under Josh Heupel, including coordinators Golesh and Tim Banks, returning to campus.
For Tennessee, it’s still unclear who will play quarterback in 2026. Joey Aguilar is fighting for eligibility, but he is unable to return under the current rules and running out of time. Other options currently on the roster would be redshirt-freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon, with Jake Merklinger off to the transfer portal.
The most popular option is for Tennessee to dip into the transfer portal itself, though. Heupel has had success with veteran quarterbacks, and there are plenty on the market that the Vols could target. That will open officially on Jan. 2, 2026.
