Friday’s NFL preseason slate is packed with former Tennessee football talent, and the headliners are two quarterbacks who know Josh Heupel’s system well.
Joe Milton III gets another chance to keep building his case for Dallas, where he’s trying to lock down the No. 2 job behind Dak Prescott. Across the league, Joey Aguilar is also working for a spot, with the rookie in Jacksonville aiming to stick as Trevor Lawrence’s backup. Both have already flashed in limited action this preseason.
The Cowboys and Saints meet in the late window at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited, and that’s where Milton will be on display. Princeton Fant is listed as injured for Dallas, while Alvin Kamara is on the New Orleans side.
Aguilar and the Jaguars are set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff against Tampa Bay. Jacksonville also has Jerome Carvin on the roster, while the Buccaneers are carrying Elijah Simmons.
There’s a full night of other former Vols scattered across the schedule, too.
At 7 p.m. ET, the Falcons visit the Dolphins.
Atlanta has James Pearce Jr., who is suspended, and Miami’s group includes Matthew Butler and Jaylen Wright. Also at 7, Houston plays Carolina, with Dominic Bailey suited up for the Texans and Chris Brazzell listed as injured for the Panthers.
The Giants and Jets meet at 7:30 p.m. ET, with Colton Hood and Jalin Hyatt on New York’s Giants side. The Jets have no former Tennessee players listed.
The 8 p.m. ET window also includes Arizona at Green Bay, where McCallan Castles and Kamal Hadden are with the Packers, and Seattle at Kansas City, where Velus Jones Jr. is on the Seahawks’ side and Omarr Norman-Lott and Trey Smith are with the Chiefs.
The slate wraps with Cincinnati at Philadelphia and Minnesota at Denver, with those matchups also part of the final preseason push.
In Other News...
Josh Heupels Friday Night Visit Says Plenty About Tennessees Future
Josh Heupel spent a Friday night in Knoxville doing what plenty of college coaches do this time of year, taking in a high school football game and keeping an eye on the next wave of in-state talent. Tennessees coach was on hand for West High School against Maryville High School, a matchup that carried extra local intrigue with a Volunteers commit on the field and a family name that still resonates around the program.
Maryville linebacker J.P. Peace, a 2027 Tennessee commit and the grandson of former Vols coach Phillip Fulmer, made his presence felt by forcing a fumble and recovering it. Heupels son, Jace, is a sophomore quarterback at West, though he did not play in the game, adding another layer to a Friday night that said as much about Tennessees future connections as it did about the result on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Joey Aguilars Jaguars Path Just Got A Lot Tougher
Joey Aguilar had been making a case for himself in Jacksonville this preseason, showing enough promise to keep his name in the mix as the Jaguars sorted out their quarterback picture. For a player trying to turn summer momentum into a roster spot, every move around him matters, and the latest one in Jacksonville changed the math in a hurry.
The Jaguars sent a 2028 day three draft pick to Miami for Quinn Ewers, adding another quarterback to a room that was already shaping up to be crowded. Aguilar could still stick around on the practice squad, and there is always the chance another team takes a look, but the path to the active roster just got much narrower. [Read more 🡒]
Former Vols Get One Last NFL Chance Before Tough Decisions
Saturday brings the final round of NFL preseason games before the 2026 regular season begins, and a familiar cluster of former Tennessee Volunteers is still in the mix as teams make their last evaluations. Josh Dobbs, Jabari Small and Tyre West are expected to get a look for the Detroit Lions, while Hendon Hooker, Morgan Cox, Jalen McMurray and Alontae Taylor are among the ex-Vols slated to suit up for the Tennessee Titans.
For players on the fringe, this is the kind of weekend that can matter more than the box score suggests. A few former Vols are already listed as injured and are unlikely to play, including Cade Mays and Darnell Wright, leaving the spotlight on the rest of the Tennessee alumni trying to turn one more preseason chance into a roster decision before the league shifts into the games that count. [Read more 🡒]