Tennessee is set to get one of its most important offensive pieces back in the mix for Kentucky.
Running back DeSean Bishop is not listed on the Wednesday availability report for the Wildcats game, a strong sign he’ll be active after leaving the South Carolina matchup with a late injury. The timing of Tennessee’s bye week helped, too. The Vols were off last Saturday, giving Bishop and the rest of the roster extra time to heal up before this week’s return to action.
Josh Heupel sounded encouraged about Bishop’s status earlier in the week.
“We feel like he will be in a good spot for next week,” Heupel said. “He got some work today.
We limited him some today. Part of that was the ankle, but part of that was just the volume he’s gotten in the early part of conference play, too.”
Bishop’s availability matters because he’s closing in on another major milestone. He enters the final stretch of the regular season with 957 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 171 carries, putting him just 43 yards away from 1,000 for the second time in his career. If he gets there again, he’d become only the second Tennessee player ever to hit the mark twice, joining Johnnie Jones, who did it in 1983 with 1,116 yards and again in 1984 with 1,290.
His path to this point has been anything but straightforward. The Knoxville native starred at Karns in high school, but didn’t draw much recruiting buzz. He initially committed to Coastal Carolina, then reopened his recruitment late after a coaching change and eventually walked on at Tennessee.
From there, Bishop had to wait. He was an offseason favorite as a true freshman, but a season-ending injury wiped out his 2023 campaign before it even started.
In 2024, he carved out a dependable role behind Dylan Sampson, who went on to become one of the nation’s most productive backs. This season, Bishop entered a running back room expected to feature a three-man rotation with Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis, but he ended up handling most of the snaps.
He has one year of eligibility left if he wants it. Still, with his stock rising, Bishop could also be on the verge of moving on to the NFL.
In Other News...
Alabama Just Landed In A Playoff Debate Fans Know Too Well
Paul Finebaums latest criticism of the College Football Playoff rankings has reopened a familiar argument for Tennessee fans, one that usually comes with plenty of frustration attached. Alabama sitting at No. 5 while Tennessee is down at No. 13, despite the Volunteers beating the Crimson Tide head-to-head, has put the committees process back under the microscope and turned an old SEC debate into a fresh national talking point.
The committee has said it weighs more than one result, including strength of schedule, and chair Hunter Yurachek has noted that direct comparisons matter most when teams are clustered closely together. Still, for Tennessee supporters, the gap between the two teams is hard to ignore, especially with both programs still carrying games ahead that could reshape the picture and either validate the current order or stir the argument up all over again. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Is Suddenly In Position For Its Next 5-Star Win
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Anderson is ranked 12th nationally by Rivals, which gives Tennessee a real chance to add another elite piece to its pipeline if it can finish the job. The Vols last landed a five-star recruit two years ago in Nate Ament, and he has since been drafted into the NBA, a reminder of how much value a top-tier prospect can bring to the program if this pursuit breaks Tennessees way. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee's Kentucky Night Could Matter Big For Heupel Off The Field
Saturday night at Neyland Stadium is shaping up to be about more than just Tennessee and Kentucky. With more than 100,000 fans expected, the Vols will also have a sizable recruiting audience in the building, including three 2027 prospects who could come away with a strong impression of the program and the atmosphere that surrounds it.
Among the visitors are cornerback Preston Glasco, pass-rusher Hayden Lowe and defensive lineman Joshua Lane, all names Tennessee is tracking closely. Lowe has Tennessee in the mix as he works through a run of visits before an early-December decision, while Lane, a Memphis native, is also drawing heavy attention from Alabama. For Josh Heupel and his staff, a win over Kentucky would do more than help in the standings. It could give those recruits one more reason to picture themselves in orange. [Read more 🡒]