On Saturday, Tennessee football held its annual Orange and White Game to conclude its slate of spring practices. While the coaching staff looks at the entire scope of spring camp, some players stood out during the scrimmage and certainly helped themselves.
Here’s a look at three true freshmen who shone during the event.
LB – Brayden Rouse
Perhaps the best performance from any freshman went to linebacker Brayden Rouse. The highly-touted four-star prospect was all over the field. While it was typically against offensive players further down the depth chart, he was constantly in the mix.
Rouse showed off his ability as a pass rusher, as well. From the linebacker spot, he flew in across the edge and either recorded a sack or moved the pocket for someone else to clean up.
It’s a deep linebacker room, but Rouse is seemingly going to push for playtime as a true freshman. It’ll be interesting to see how he’s used, though, with so many proven backers in front of him.
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OL – Gabriel Osenda
Gabriel Osenda, a five-star recruit on 247, got some reps in at left tackle. He likely won’t be called upon as a true freshman with David Sanders Jr. locking down left tackle, but he’s looked like someone who could blossom into a great piece on the line.
Osenda, standing at a staggering 6-foot-8, already weighs 330 pounds. He could probably put a bit more weight on, but the tangibles were never going to be much of a question.
What stood out was the intangibles, though. His footwork was clean, his hand placement was strong and he used his size to be physical. In one-on-one work, he completely stifled pass rushers. In the scrimmage section, he had an overall good day as a pass and run blocker.
DL – Carter Gooden
At defensive end, Carter Gooden lived in the backfield. He also typically went up against the third units on the offensive line, but it was still impressive to see him continue to beat blockers.
Gooden’s best rep came against right guard Michael Kostantonov late in the scrimmage. He flew past him and got a hand on Ryan Staub to record a sack.
Good reps from freshmen LB Brayden Rouse and DL Carter Gooden at the Orange and White Game ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/C5yxqAPxYU
— Ryan Sylvia (@RyanTSylvia) April 12, 2026
Gooden has the likes of Tyree Weathersby and Mariyon Dye in front of him, but he could work his way into a snap load as he battles other young options.
