Josh Heupel’s Wednesday update on DeSean Bishop gave Tennessee some relief after the running back left the loss at South Carolina with an injury and did not return.
Heupel said the Vols believe Bishop should be ready to go after the bye 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 status matters because he is closing in on another major rushing milestone. Through four regular-season games left, he has 957 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 171 carries. If he gets past 1,000 yards again, he would become just the second Tennessee player ever to reach that mark twice, joining Johnnie Jones, who did it in 1983 with 1,116 yards and again in 1984 with 1,290.
The Knoxville native’s path to this point has been anything but straightforward. A standout at Karns in high school, Bishop didn’t draw heavy recruiting attention. He first committed to Coastal Carolina, then reopened his recruitment after a coaching change and ultimately walked on at Tennessee.
His Tennessee career has had its share of twists, too. Bishop entered the 2023 season as a true freshman with buzz around him, only to suffer a season-ending injury before the year began.
In 2024, he settled in as a dependable backup behind Dylan Sampson, who finished as one of the country’s most productive backs. This season, Bishop entered a running back room that was supposed to feature him, Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis, but he ended up handling most of the snaps.
Bishop has one year of eligibility left if he decides to use it, though there is also growing NFL interest as he continues to climb draft boards.
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 🡒]
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 🡒]
Gabby Minus Gave Lady Vols Fans An Encouraging First Glimpse
The Lady Vols exhibition win over Florida A&M offered plenty of early October optimism, but the first real curiosity for Tennessee fans may have been freshman Gabby Minus. In her first game at Food City Center, Minus finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and a noticeable defensive presence, giving an encouraging glimpse of how she might fit into Kim Caldwells rotation this season.
Caldwell noted the freshmans initial nerves, which is hardly surprising in a Tennessee debut, but praised the way Minus settled into the flow of the game. For a team that just rolled past Florida A&M, the bigger takeaway was less about the lopsided score and more about a newcomer showing she can contribute right away. [Read more 🡒]