Josh Heupel and Tennessee will help open up SEC Media Days on Monday, July 20, with the Vols set for the first day of the 2026 event alongside Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma.
Heupel’s day will include two SEC Network appearances. He is scheduled to speak at the main podium at 2:55 p.m.
ET, then later appear on the Paul Finebaum Show at 4:40 p.m. ET.
Tennessee is sending four representatives to the event: Heupel, running back DeSean Bishop, linebacker Arion Carter and linebacker Jeremiah Telander.
Monday’s full lineup also includes Kentucky, Missouri and Oklahoma. Kentucky will be represented by head coach Will Stein, safety Ty Bryant, quarterback Kenny Minchey and tight end Willie Rodriguez.
Missouri’s group features head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, offensive lineman Cayden Green, running back Jamal Roberts and linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez. Oklahoma will send head coach Brent Venables, quarterback John Mateer and offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis.
The rest of the week’s schedule is set as well. Tuesday, July 21 brings Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.
Auburn’s group is head coach Alex Golesh, defensive back Champ Anthony, quarterback Byrum Brown and kicker Alex McPherson. Georgia is sending head coach Kirby Smart, offensive lineman Drew Bobo, quarterback Gunner Stockton and linebacker Raylen Wilson.
South Carolina will be represented by head coach Shane Beamer, wide receiver Nyck Harbor, quarterback LaNorris Sellers and defensive back Peyton Williams. Vanderbilt’s contingent includes head coach Clark Lea, running back Sedrick Alexander, defensive lineman Issa Ouattara and wide receiver Junior Sherrill.
On Wednesday, July 22, Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and Texas A&M are scheduled to speak. Alabama’s representatives are head coach Kalen DeBoer, defensive back Zabien Brown, wide receiver Ryan Coleman Williams and defensive back Bray Hubbard.
Florida will send head coach Jon Sumrall, running back Jadan Baugh, linebacker Myles Graham and wide receiver Vernell Brown III. Ole Miss is bringing head coach Pete Golding, quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, defensive tackle Will Echoles and running back Kewan Lacy.
Texas A&M’s group features head coach Mike Elko, linebacker Daymion Sanford, safety Marcus Ratcliffe and quarterback Marcel Reed.
Thursday, July 23 wraps up the listed schedule with Arkansas and LSU. Arkansas will be represented by head coach Ryan Silverfield, offensive lineman Caden Kitler, defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr. and running back Sutton Smith. LSU’s group includes head coach Lane Kiffin, linebacker TJ Dottery, tight end Trey’Dez Green and linebacker Whit Weeks.
In Other News...
DeSean Bishop Just Weighed In On Tennessees Future Backfield
DeSean Bishops place in Tennessees backfield is already secure in the present, but the conversation around the future is getting interesting. The All-SEC running back said he would be open to sharing carries with a highly ranked 2027 recruit, a reminder that the Volunteers are trying to keep their roster balanced between immediate production and the long view. Bishop also made clear that his own focus is on the current season, even as NFL aspirations remain part of the bigger picture.
For Tennessee, the appeal is obvious: adding another elite back would only deepen a position group that already has a proven centerpiece. But the path to making that happen is still unresolved, with the recruit weighing his options and Bishops own long-term timeline far from settled. If both sides end up aligning, the Volunteers could be looking at a backfield that is built to last, but for now it remains one of those recruiting and roster questions that hangs in the background. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Power Shift Talk Should Have Mississippi State Fans On Edge
The SECs long-running frustration with the college sports setup is no longer just a background grumble. Commissioner Greg Sankey said the leagues leaders are openly discussing the possibility of breaking away from the NCAA structure, a sign of how much pressure has built around Congressional legislation, NIL transparency and the College Football Playoff format.
Sankey also made clear that a clean split is not the first choice, even with the SECs recent run of success across sports and its standing as the sports most powerful league. For schools like Tennessee, the bigger issue is what happens if the national system keeps stalling, because the more the SEC feels boxed in, the louder the power-shift conversation is likely to get. [Read more 🡒]
What Tennessee's Media Days Picks Could Signal About Vols Leadership
SEC Media Days opens Monday in Tampa, and Tennessees delegation offers a first look at which voices the program wants front and center heading into the 2026 college football season. Josh Heupel will be there, of course, but the player trio of DeSean Bishop, Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander is the part that stands out, especially with Bishop and Carter projected as important pieces for the Vols.
Telanders selection is the one worth watching a little closer. Tennessee has plenty to sort out before fall, and the choices it makes for a stage like this can say as much about the locker room hierarchy as any offseason depth chart. When Heupel and the three players speak in Tampa, the Vols may not reveal much outright, but they could offer a useful hint about where the team sees its leadership and linebacker room headed. [Read more 🡒]