POWER RANKINGS: Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews best Position DUO for Tennessee Football

Tennessee Volunteers’ wide receiver duo Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews headline the most dynamic position group heading into the 2026 season. With over 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns combined last year, can their chemistry spark a high-powered SEC offense once again under coach Josh Heupel? Eric Cain power ranks every position, spotlighting the loaded offensive line and key questions at quarterback between Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre. On defense, a stacked linebacker corps leads the way, while inexperienced defensive ends present uncertainty. Insightful discussion covers Vols’ running back depth, rising talents in the secondary, and crucial improvements needed in tackling and run-game consistency. Listener mailbag tackles Tennessee’s must-win games and the ripple effects of Dusty May’s NBA move on the basketball program. Are the Vols poised for another breakthrough, or will questions at quarterback and edge rusher hold them back? Catch Locked on Vols, wherever you find your podcasts. ▶️https://linktr.ee/cainer Subscribe to the Locked on Vols EveryDayer Club ▶️ https://lockedonvols.supercast.com/ Neyland Press Corps Substack ▶️ https://neylandpress.substack.com/ For your next listen, check out the Locked On College Football podcast! From NIL deals to never ending conference realignment rumors, Spencer McLaughlin gets you ready for an exciting season on the gridiron! Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! 5-Hour ENERGY Have your cake & drink it too. Birthday cake-flavor is back, no fork needed. Vanilla-y cakey flavor, caffeinated kick, and no sugar. It's party time. Order Now at https://5-hourENERGY.com or Amazon. Mazda Like our players, we’re driven by the details. Because highlights make the reel. What it takes to get there makes it count.There’s more to a Mazda. Because there’s more to you. Turbo Tax For a limited time, you can have your taxes done by a local TurboTax expert for just $150 — all in, if a TurboTax expert didn’t file for you last year. Just file by February 28. Take taxes off your plate and get back to your life. Visit https://TurboTax.com/local to book your appointment today.  Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today’s episode is sponsored by FanDuel. The Winter Games are on. And there’s no better way to follow them than with a bet on FanDuel. FanDuel - Play your game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)