Saturday’s Southeastern Conference matchup in Fayetteville between the 15th ranked Tennessee Volunteers and the Arkansas Razorbacks comes down to the edges more than most realize.
Tennessee wants to lean on DeSean Bishop and the run game, especially with the uncertainty at quarterback and George MacIntyre making his first career start on the road. Arkansas needs disruption up front to force the Vols into uncomfortable situations. That collision lands squarely on the left side of Tennessee’s line, where Vols’ sophomore tackle David Sanders Jr. will square off with Arkansas’ senior defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr.
Why it matters
Tennessee’s offensive line has been a work in progress. Wendell Moe Jr. is out for the season, and the interior has shuffled, with Nic Moore and Donovan Haslam starting at the guards against Auburn. Sanders is the constant and the blind-side protector. He’s the guy who must keep the edge clean so Bishop can operate.
Arkansas, meanwhile, has been gashed on the ground in SEC play, giving up 254 rushing yards against Georgia and 231 against Texas A&M. Rhodes is the Razorbacks’ most proven edge threat. If he wins, he can collapse the pocket or set a hard edge that forces Tennessee into third-and-long. If Sanders wins, the Vols stay on schedule and the running game dictates the afternoon.
A look at the Vol side of it
Sanders arrived as a five-star, top-10 national prospect and has started every game at left tackle this season after playing mostly right tackle as a freshman.
The 6-foot-6, 310-pound sophomore from Charlotte has shown steady growth. He had a puzzling slow start against Furman (a holding penalty and a sack allowed early), then responded with stronger tape.
PFF graded him solidly in subsequent weeks, a 72.4 against Kennesaw State and positive marks in the Georgia Tech win where Tennessee ran for 299 yards. Against Texas he logged a full workload (81 snaps) and still graded above several teammates amid a rough day for the unit overall.
Early 2028 NFL Draft evaluators have already floated top-10 grades for him based on the length, athleticism, and finishing ability he has shown in the run game. With the Vols ranking 14th nationally in rushing, a big chunk of that production has come behind Sanders’ side.
A look at the Arkansas side of it
Rhodes is the veteran the Razorbacks need to make plays. The 6-foot-6, 273-pound senior from North Little Rock posted a breakout 2025 with eight sacks and a team-high 15.5 tackles for loss.
This season the production has been quieter but still present: two sacks (one against No. 2 Georgia, one against Tulsa) and TFLs in multiple games, finishing with eight total tackles through five contests.
He is listed as the starting defensive end on Arkansas’ Week 6 depth chart and brings the length and power to both pressure the quarterback and hold the edge against the run.
Arkansas has struggled to generate consistent disruption against SEC offenses, but Rhodes remains the one proven difference-maker on that front. Heupel already flagged the Razorbacks’ defensive line as a physical threat and Rhodes is the headliner of that group.
Who has the edge
Slight edge to Sanders and Tennessee. The Vols’ offensive identity is built around establishing the run, and Sanders has been the most reliable piece of a banged-up line while helping pave the way for Bishop’s recent explosion.
Rhodes is the higher-upside individual pass-rusher based on last year’s production and still has the tools to win snaps, but Arkansas’ overall defensive front has not consistently stopped quality SEC run games.
If Sanders can neutralize Rhodes for 50-plus snaps, Tennessee keeps the game on its terms. If Rhodes wins early and forces the Vols into obvious passing downs, Arkansas has a path to make this uncomfortable.
Arkansas is allowing 194.0 passing yards per game (roughly mid-pack, around 50th–67th nationally depending on the ranking source). Tennessee, with shuffling quarterbacks, is limited (174.4 ypg, 119th nationally). The battle on the edge will set the tone for everything else.