Ahead of fall camp and SEC Media Days next week, Tennessee football dropped its roster for the 2026 season. Featured are new jersey numbers for returners, transfers and incoming freshmen.
While the majority of returners kept their old number, 10 players decided to make a change. I went through the list to give my thoughts on which ones I love and which ones I wish they had kept the same.
To be clear, I don’t know of any stories behind any changes; this is a ranking purely on aesthetics and personal opinion.
Three I Love
RB Justin Baker – 20 to 2
Justin Baker dropping the zero from 20 and going down to simply two is a natural and great move. While I’m not against 20 as a running back number, two is a classic and has been worn by some solid backs under Josh Heupel, Jabari Small and most recently Peyton Lewis.
Baker is a big guy, too. At 5-foot-10, he clocks in at 210 pounds to fit a powerback mold with his athleticism. Having a single digit while hitting the hole with a head of steam will look great.
WR Joakim Dodson – 89 to 9
Joakim Dodson dropping the eight in 89 and settling in with simply nine is also a great move. In my opinion, 89 is much more of a tight end number and didn’t fit a speedy slot receiver.
Going to a single digit at nine makes a lot more sense. If he gets chances in the return game, too, it’ll look better scampering down the sideline like in the Music City Bowl than 89 did.
DB Tre Poteat III – 21 to 3
I have no issue with 21 for a defensive back. However, three is a fantastic cornerback number. Especially with Jermod McCoy’s recent success wearing the number, I love the change for Tre Poteat III.
Radarious Jackson also made the move to three at wide receiver, which doesn’t bother me at all and gives TK Keys his preference of five.
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Three I Don’t
QB George MacIntyre – 15 to 12
George MacIntyre is making the change from 15, which he wore as a freshman, to 12. He was 12 in high school, so I get the change, but I think 15 fits a tall, lanky quarterback more than 12 does.
Contrarily, I think Faizon Brandon with 11 and Ryan Staub with eight will look fantastic. Ultimately, the jersey number choice isn’t going to play a factor in the ongoing quarterback battle, and if MacIntyre looks good, feels good, plays good then my preference of 15 certainly won’t matter.
DL Nathan Robinson – 94 to 19
I think a lot of people are going to like Nathan Robinson ditching a number in the 90s for a lower choice, but I love numbers in the 90s for defensive linemen. Especially on the interior, I thought 94 fit Robinson well in his breakout year last season.
To me, 19 isn’t much of an interior defensive line number either. It worked on Joshua Josephs off the edge, but I don’t love it for a defensive tackle.
TE Cole Harrison – 86 to 80
Cole Harrison is making a change to his number, but it’s not a big one. He’ll stay in the 80s, going from 86 to 80. I think 80 is a cleaner number, but typically one I associate with wide receivers more than tight ends.
I liked Harrison in 86, too. While from a distance, 86 and 80 may not even be a noticeable difference, it just doesn’t fit Harrison as well, I think. It was also available to take last season, with nobody on the roster claiming it, so it’s interesting he’s just now making the swap.
