Tennessee’s pass protection ‘huge area to take a step’ ahead of Texas

No. 13 Tennessee (3-0) will open Southeastern Conference play Saturday in Week 4. The Vols will host No. 1 Texas (3-0) at Neyland Stadium (noon EDT, ABC).

Ahead of the top 15 matchup, tight ends coach Alec Abeln met with media and discussed Tennessee’s tight end group’s ability to pass protect.

“That’s the biggest area for me that we’ve got to get fixed and get it fixed quickly,” Abeln said. “It’s not big things, it’s not inability to, it’s little details, it’s little angles, it’s little hand placements. To me, that’s really where you can talk about trust and being able to play. There’s nothing that you need trust more than in protection.

“Certainly, I will be picky on just exactly how that’s supposed to look, and there’s never really good enough in protection for me, but understanding that’s a huge area for us to take a step.”

Through three nonconference games in 2026, Tennessee has allowed three sacks for 17 yards. The Vols are also ranked No. 83 overall nationally for passing offense, averaging 211.7 yards per game.

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