The Tennessee Volunteers still have most of the 2025 football season ahead of them, and they’re hoping injuries on their defensive front can be a thing of the past.
Senior Jaxson Moi suffered an arm injury three plays into the opening victory over Syracuse and didn’t return until the Sept. 27 overtime win at Mississippi State, while junior Daevin Hobbs sustained a foot injury in preseason camp and has yet to play. Hobbs has been cleared to compete this Saturday, when the No. 12 Vols (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) welcome Arkansas (2-3, 0-1) to Neyland Stadium.
“Getting him back will be humongous for our D-line and just our team,” Moi said this week in a news conference. “I can’t wait for him to show the world what he’s got. There is this sense that when we get our full health that it’s going to be even more exciting.”
The Vols continued preparations Thursday for the Razorbacks, with Saturday’s game set for 4:15 p.m. on the SEC Network.
Moi’s return in Starkville consisted of 45 snaps, which ranked third among Tennessee defensive linemen that day behind the 55 apiece from sixth-year seniors Dominic Bailey and Bryson Eason. When Moi went down against Syracuse, he had no idea what his status for the rest of the season would be.
“It was tough, no doubt,” Moi said. “It’s easy to feed negativity in your head, but I had a good support system. My faith and my teammates helped me the most.
“Once I found out it wasn’t season-ending, I just lived in that training room so I could get back as fast as I could.”
Bailey and Eason have played in all five contests, as has redshirt sophomore Nathan Robinson, who has been a pleasant surprise. Senior Tyre West and redshirt sophomore Tyree Weathersby have each played in four games.
The Vols have not come close to replicating last year’s defensive numbers, ranking 76th nationally in yards allowed per game (373.4) and 103rd in points allowed per contest (29.0). They continue, however, to rack up the lost-yardage stops, as they’re tied for first nationally with Oklahoma with 4.2 sacks per game and tied for ninth with 8.2 tackles for loss.
“I think we’ve played hard,” Moi said. “Obviously as a group we’ve dealt with some injuries. Some young guys had to step up, and our older guys had to step up more. I was proud of how everyone picked up their new roles, and it showed the type of heart and passion that we play the game with.
“We’ve got a lot to work on, but we’re going to progress each week, and I’m excited about that.”
Moi said he used the Mississippi State game to “knock the rust off.” The 6-foot-2, 305-pounder from Oceanside, California, who began his career at Stanford is hoping to use this week’s opportunity for much more.
“They’re going to be a well-coached group,” Moi said. “Their former coach, Coach (Sam) Pittman, was a great offensive line coach, and Coach (Bobby) Petrino is a great offensive mind.
“It’s not going to be a cakewalk. It’s going to be a dogfight.”
The traditional look
The Vols on Saturday will wear orange jerseys and white pants for the fourth time this season, the school revealed Thursday.
They are 2-1 so far in their traditional home look, defeating Syracuse and East Tennessee State in their first two games before falling to Georgia in overtime in their third contest.
Champions weekend
Tennessee will stage its fourth annual “Champions Weekend” in conjunction with Saturday’s sellout contest against the Razorbacks.
Teams and individuals who won SEC and/or NCAA championships during the years of 1975, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2015 will be recognized.
This marks the 20-year anniversary of Tennessee winning the 2005 women’s indoor track and field national championship, and it’s the 40-year anniversary of Sam Graddy earning an NCAA title in the men’s indoor 55-meter dash. Tennessee’s 1995 baseball team and the 2000 men’s basketball team will be honored for winning league championships, as will the women’s basketball teams of 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000.
The two football teams that will have representatives honored are the 1985 and 1990 SEC champions.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.