Overview
- Tennessee will play without Joshua Josephs, Chris Brazzell II, Arion Carter, Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood after their NFL draft opt-outs.
- Illinois also loses edge rusher Gabe Jacas and left tackle J.C. Davis to opt-outs, with leading tackler Matthew Bailey unavailable due to injury.
- Josh Heupel said the staff planned for departures and has elevated Jordan Ross and Caleb Herring on the edge and freshmen Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith at receiver, with young corners such as Ty Redmond and Tre Poteat in line for snaps.
- Analysts expect a different game script with thinned pass rushes and secondaries, increasing the chance of a high-scoring contest on paper.
- The first-ever meeting between No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) and Illinois (8-4) kicks off Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN at Nissan Stadium, where sportsbooks list Illinois +6.5 with a 61.5 total.