Lane Kiffin will return to one of his former teams later this year when he travels with the LSU team, and current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has now spoken about the kind of welcome Kiffin can receive when he comes to Knoxville.
“I certainly hope our fans haven’t cooled off,” Heupel joked when asked about Kiffin’s reception.
“So, whether it’s grocery stores being fully stocked with mustard or sports stores making sure they got reinforcements on the golf balls. Hopefully Knoxville is ready for his arrival.”
Fans have now spoken about the statement and don’t seem entirely happy with Heupel’s comments, even if it was meant to be light-hearted, with one calling it a “stupid message to fans.”
Josh Heupel Opens Up About Tennessee’s QB Situation
Tennessee will have redshirt George MacIntyre and freshman Faizon Brandon as his quarterback options this season, but is keeping the decision of QB1 purely on performance.
“I think that guy, like everybody else, has to earn it in front of their peers,” Heupel said at SEC media days.
“I know much is going to be made about our quarterback situation as we come in, starting our fifth different quarterback in five years. We’ve done that historically.
“Seven out of the last nine years we’ve had a different starting quarterback and seven out of the last nine years top 10 in the country in scoring. We’re going to have a guy that’s going to be ready to compete at an elite championship level.”
Tennessee kicks off the 2026 season with a clash against the Furman Paladins in Knoxville on 5 September.
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