Tennessee's starting center Sam Pendleton was held out of the No. 18 Vols' 56-9 season-opening rout of Furman on Sept. 5, a suspension the university says stemmed from a violation of team rules. The available evidence does not establish that his May DUI arrest caused the suspension. The 21-year-old was charged with first-offense DUI after crashing his SUV on Interstate 40 East near mile marker 396 in Knox County back on May 24, and he's due in court on Nov. 23.
A University of Tennessee spokesperson said Pendleton was suspended from Saturday's game for a violation of team rules, according to WVLT. That confirmation came three days after the game itself, and it left a gap between what fans initially heard and what actually happened. Per an arrest report obtained by WBIR, the responding Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper noted that Pendleton could not balance properly and reported that he lost control of his vehicle.
Pendleton told police he hydroplaned and lost control of his car, and he said he had not been drinking, per the report cited by WVLT. Troopers observed that Pendleton had glassy, watery and bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol, and he performed poorly on three field sobriety tests. Officers reportedly found two alcoholic drinks in the vehicle — a Johnny Bootlegger containing 12% alcohol and a Four Loko containing 13.9% alcohol.
Heupel's Comments Preceded the Team's Disclosure
In his postgame remarks after the Furman win, head coach Josh Heupel attributed Pendleton's absence to a decision made after pregame warmups, without any mention of the DUI arrest, the station's report notes. Heupel also said Pendleton is expected to play when Tennessee travels to face Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium, a 7 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 12 in Atlanta. It wasn't until Sept. 8 that the university publicly cited a team-rules violation as the reason for the benching.
Pendleton wasn't the only Vol missing from the lineup against Furman. Linebacker Arion Carter also sat out the opener under a separate one-game suspension tied to an off-field matter during the draft evaluation process, as reported by Yardbarker, and he's slated to return for Week 2 alongside Pendleton.
From Notre Dame Guard to Tennessee's Anchor at Center
Pendleton arrived at Tennessee in January 2025 after two seasons at Notre Dame, where he appeared in 16 games with seven starts at left guard and was part of two Joe Moore Award semifinalist offensive line units, according to University of Tennessee Athletics. A consensus four-star recruit out of Reagan High School in Pfafftown, North Carolina, and a Shrine Bowl team captain, he was ranked 25th among offensive linemen nationally and 17th among offensive guards in the 2023 class, per 247Sports.
After transferring to Tennessee, Pendleton became the Vols' starting center in 2025 following the departure of All-American center Cooper Mays, 247Sports reported separately. Pendleton started all 13 games for Tennessee last season.
Backup Center Steps In Amid Communication Hiccups
With Pendleton out, Nic Moore made his first career start at center against Furman, lining up alongside David Sanders Jr. at left tackle, according to On3. The shuffled line had some minor breakdowns and miscommunications as Tennessee prepares to face Georgia Tech.
What Pendleton Faces in Court
The provided sources do not establish the classification or penalties for a first-offense DUI in Tennessee. Pendleton's case remains pending, with his court date set for Nov. 23 — well after Tennessee's Week 2 trip to Atlanta, where he's expected to be back protecting the Vols' quarterback.
