Coach previews the upcoming volunteer football season from a seasoned coach's perspective. Matthews breaks down the favorable 2026 schedule, analyzing key early matchups against Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State that will test the Vols' young quarterbacks before they head into rigorous SEC play.

Key topics discussed include:


The Quarterback Competition: An evaluation of how Coach Josh Heupel and Offensive Coordinator Joey Halzle will manage talented young signal-callers Gaston Moore and Jake Merklinger early in the season.


Roster Strategy: A look at the impact of the expanded 105-scholarship limit, managing the transfer portal, and finding success through "addition by subtraction."


Keys to Success: The critical importance of standard fundamental defense and a strong running game to support the passing offense.

The episode also includes a sports results segment with Jimmy Hyams, covering Tennessee women's softball regional play, baseball postseason seeding, and recent achievements in track and field and rowing.

Coach previews the upcoming volunteer football season from a seasoned coach's perspective. Matthews breaks down the favorable 2026 schedule, analyzing key early matchups against Furman, Georgia Tech, and Kennesaw State that will test the Vols' young quarterbacks before they head into rigorous SEC play.
Key topics discussed include:
<ul data-path-to-node="7">
<li>
The Quarterback Competition: An evaluation of how Coach Josh Heupel and Offensive Coordinator Joey Halzle will manage talented young signal-callers Gaston Moore and Jake Merklinger early in the season.
</li>
<li>
Roster Strategy: A look at the impact of the expanded 105-scholarship limit, managing the transfer portal, and finding success through "addition by subtraction."
</li>
<li>
Keys to Success: The critical importance of standard fundamental defense and a strong running game to support the passing offense.
</li>
</ul>
The episode also includes a sports results segment with Jimmy Hyams, covering Tennessee women's softball regional play, baseball postseason seeding, and recent achievements in track and field and rowing.

Former University of Tennessee coordinator Doug Mathews brings you the latest news and analysis every weekend on 104-5 The Zone. Find the show LIVE every Sunday morning at 8 AM and check out the full podcast right here every weekend.

Big Orange Sunday

Full Shows And Interviews From Nashville's #1 Sports Station

Zone Podcasts

Big Orange Sunday 5-17-26 

Coach is joined by Jimmy Hyams to break down the latest news surrounding University of Tennessee athletics. In this segment, they discuss the Volunteers' historic national fan attendance record across football, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball, and dive into the surging momentum of the lady Vols softball team as they head into the regional tournament. They also shift focus to the diamond, evaluating Tennessee baseball's climb back to a .500 SEC record, their upcoming matchup against South Carolina in the conference tournament, and how the NCAA selection committee might view their postseason seeding. Finally, they provide a spring update on the football program, highlighting the ongoing quarterback competition and the impact of the team's off-season conditioning program.

Coach is joined by Jimmy Hyams to break down the latest news surrounding University of Tennessee athletics. In this segment, they discuss the Volunteers' historic national fan attendance record across football, men&rsquo;s basketball, and women&rsquo;s basketball, and dive into the surging momentum of the lady Vols softball team as they head into the regional tournament. They also shift focus to the diamond, evaluating Tennessee baseball's climb back to a .500 SEC record, their upcoming matchup against South Carolina in the conference tournament, and how the NCAA selection committee might view their postseason seeding. Finally, they provide a spring update on the football program, highlighting the ongoing quarterback competition and the impact of the team's off-season conditioning program.

BOS - Jimmy Hyams 5-17-26

Coach discuss the upcoming schedule, recruitment updates, and team strategies for the Tennessee Volunteers' 2026 season. highlighting the vital travel windows for the 2027 recruiting class, evaluates the benefits of a 24-team playoff format, and previews challenging non-conference matchups, including Georgia Tech. He also offers a deep dive into modern roster dynamics, detailing how expanded scholarship limits, the transfer portal, and effective NIL management will shape the program's competitive edge.

Coach discuss the upcoming schedule, recruitment updates, and team strategies for the Tennessee Volunteers' 2026 season. highlighting the vital travel windows for the 2027 recruiting class, evaluates the benefits of a 24-team playoff format, and previews challenging non-conference matchups, including Georgia Tech. He also offers a deep dive into modern roster dynamics, detailing how expanded scholarship limits, the transfer portal, and effective NIL management will shape the program's competitive edge.

Coaches Key Recruitment and Team Insights Ahead of the 2026 Season

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! Happy Mother's Day, Vol Nation. In this special holiday edition, host and former Tennessee defensive coordinator Doug Mathews takes a deep dive into the wild, ever-changing world of Vols football recruiting. A huge focus of the show is how head coach Josh Heupel is juggling an estimated $40 million personnel budget, especially when it comes to landing elite quarterbacks. Doug breaks down the tough financial decisions the staff has to make: do you invest heavily in unproven high school prospects, or do you shell out top dollar—potentially up to $5 million—for proven veterans in the transfer portal? He also maps out the three critical recruiting battlegrounds Tennessee absolutely has to dominate to stay competitive in the SEC: locking down their home state, hitting Georgia hard, and grabbing top talent out of North Carolina.

Moving beyond the recruiting trail, the guys take some time to celebrate the massive improvements on the defensive side of the ball, giving major props to the disciplined, fundamentally sound culture the coaching staff has built. Later in the show, veteran sports reporter Jimmy Hyams dials in—even while recovering from rotator cuff surgery!—to shift the conversation from the gridiron to the diamond. Doug and Jimmy give a full rundown of Tennessee's baseball season, break down the recent series against Texas, and look ahead at where the team sits for the NCAA tournament. To round out this jam-packed weekend review of Vols athletics, they also touch on the softball team's early, unexpected exit from the SEC tournament.

Welcome to another episode of Big Orange Sunday! Happy Mother's Day, Vol Nation. In this special holiday edition, host and former Tennessee defensive coordinator Doug Mathews takes a deep dive into the wild, ever-changing world of Vols football recruiting. A huge focus of the show is how head coach Josh Heupel is juggling an estimated $40 million personnel budget, especially when it comes to landing elite quarterbacks. Doug breaks down the tough financial decisions the staff has to make: do you invest heavily in unproven high school prospects, or do you shell out top dollar&mdash;potentially up to $5 million&mdash;for proven veterans in the transfer portal? He also maps out the three critical recruiting battlegrounds Tennessee absolutely has to dominate to stay competitive in the SEC: locking down their home state, hitting Georgia hard, and grabbing top talent out of North Carolina.
Moving beyond the recruiting trail, the guys take some time to celebrate the massive improvements on the defensive side of the ball, giving major props to the disciplined, fundamentally sound culture the coaching staff has built. Later in the show, veteran sports reporter Jimmy Hyams dials in&mdash;even while recovering from rotator cuff surgery!&mdash;to shift the conversation from the gridiron to the diamond. Doug and Jimmy give a full rundown of Tennessee's baseball season, break down the recent series against Texas, and look ahead at where the team sits for the NCAA tournament. To round out this jam-packed weekend review of Vols athletics, they also touch on the softball team's early, unexpected exit from the SEC tournament.

Big Orange Sunday 5-17-26

In 2 playlist(s)

Big Orange Sunday

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips