Josh Heupel didn’t hesitate when asked what DeSean Bishop’s rise means to Tennessee.
The Volunteers’ head coach pointed to Bishop as the kind of story college football is built for, tracing his path from a walk-on buried on the depth chart before the 2023 season to one of the nation’s top running backs.
Bishop, a Karns alum, has recently spoken about how close he came to being kicked off the Tennessee football team before he ever took a snap. That turning point, Heupel said Wednesday, helped shape not just Bishop’s career but the person he has become.
“I think it’s the great thing about college football. You come in, the first 18 years of your life are what you’re born into, and you have an opportunity to grow, to learn and to become the man that you may not even know that you want to be, but have the opportunity to be,” Heupel said. “And DeSean’s a great example of that.”
Heupel said Bishop’s climb has been driven by faith first, then the kind of habits coaches dream about.
“For him, it all starts with his faith, but a guy that’s accountable, disciplined, works extremely hard, and has taken full advantage of the opportunity, the resources, the exposure to different things since he got here on campus,” Heupel said. “And has absolutely flourished. He represents everything that’s good in college athletics.”
On the field, the numbers back it up. Bishop is currently second in the FBS with 957 rushing yards and is on pace to challenge the Tennessee single-season rushing record of 1,491 set by former teammate Dylan Sampson in 2024.
In Other News...
Lady Vols Showed Off A Depth Tennessee Fans Will Notice Fast
The only exhibition game on Tennessees schedule offered an early look at how many different ways this Lady Vols roster can beat you, and Florida A&M had no answer for it. Tennessee rolled to a 132-63 win while forcing 37 turnovers and turning those takeaways into 45 points, the kind of pressure-to-points formula that can make a deep team even harder to handle once the games start to count.
Eight players finished in double figures, a sign that the scoring load could be spread around in a way Tennessee fans are likely to appreciate fast. White filled the box score with 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals, Minus added 12 points and seven rebounds, Smikle led the way with 19 points, and Janneh controlled the glass with 13 rebounds, giving the Lady Vols a glimpse of the balance they can lean on this season. [Read more 🡒]
DeSean Bishop Update Matters For Tennessees Stretch Run
DeSean Bishops day at South Carolina ended early, but Tennessee got a reassuring sign afterward. Josh Heupel said the running back is expected to be in good condition for the upcoming week, which matters as the Volunteers head into the stretch run with Bishop playing a bigger and bigger role in the offense.
Bishop has been pushing toward 1,000 rushing yards this season, and his presence gives Tennessee another reliable option as the games get tighter. With one year of eligibility still left after this season, keeping him available now and down the stretch looms as an important piece of the bigger picture for the Volunteers. [Read more 🡒]
Vols Suddenly Have A Real Shot At Key 2027 DB Target
Preston Glascos recruitment is moving into the home stretch, and Tennessee has positioned itself squarely in the mix for one of the more intriguing 2027 defensive backs in the region. The Grayson High School cornerback from Georgia is expected to make his college choice soon, and his list has been trimmed to Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee after a process that has already brought multiple scholarship offers and steady attention from major programs.
For the Vols, the encouraging part is that Glasco has remained in regular contact with the coaching staff and came away from a recent visit with Tennessee firmly in the conversation. That kind of late momentum matters in a battle like this, especially when the competition includes two heavyweight SEC neighbors, and it leaves Tennessee with a real opening as his decision approaches. [Read more 🡒]