Tennessee’s DeSean Bishop was nowhere to be found on the 2026 Doak Walker Award watch list, and that omission is hard to square with what he just did on the field.
The list includes 60 running backs. Bishop isn’t one of them, despite a 2025 season that put him squarely among the nation’s most productive backs.
He ran for 1,076 yards, which ranked 29th nationally, and scored 16 touchdowns, tying for sixth. He also averaged 5.9 yards per carry, good for 34th, while piling up 182 rushing attempts, which ranked 43rd.
That kind of production usually gets a player a seat at the table. Bishop didn’t get one.
What makes the snub even stranger is that Bishop is already on the watch list for two awards that are not limited to running backs. In other words, he’s being recognized as one of the sport’s best players overall while somehow getting left off a position list that’s supposed to spotlight the top 60 at his spot.
Bishop is heading into his fourth year at Tennessee and is an RS-Junior after redshirting his freshman season because of injury. He has two years of eligibility left and is set to enter his second year as the starter after earning All-SEC Second Team honors in 2025.
His path makes the whole thing feel even more remarkable. Bishop began as a walk-on and worked his way into becoming one of the SEC’s premier players. Even now, with his place on the depth chart secure, he runs like someone still trying to prove he belongs.
If the Doak Walker watch list missed him once, Tennessee fans have every reason to think Bishop will spend the season making sure nobody forgets him again.
In Other News...
Joey Aguilar Is Making Jacksonville Face A Tough Roster Decision
Joey Aguilar has turned a quiet preseason opportunity into a real roster storyline in Jacksonville. The undrafted rookie quarterback, who led the SEC in passing yards last season at Tennessee before going unselected in the draft, has made the most of his snaps with the Jaguars and given the coaching staff something to weigh as roster decisions draw closer.
Through two preseason games, Aguilar has completed 10 of 11 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown, a start that keeps him firmly in the mix. He still has one more exhibition game to strengthen his case, and for a Jaguars team sorting out the back end of the quarterback room, his rise has made that final evaluation a tougher one. [Read more 🡒]
Former Vol Joey Aguilar Is Making A Real NFL Roster Push
Joey Aguilar is keeping himself in the NFL conversation, and Tennessee fans have a familiar name to watch as the preseason winds down. The former Vol quarterback turned in a sharp outing for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Carolina Panthers, coming on in the second half and showing the kind of poise that can matter when teams are sorting out the back end of a roster.
Aguilar completed 9 of 10 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown, highlighted by a 29-yard scoring strike to rookie wide receiver Trebor Pea. For a quarterback trying to force his way onto the Jaguars' roster, it was the kind of efficient performance that gets attention in a crowded competition, even if the final call still has to be made. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Scrimmage Put One Key Vols Battle Back In Focus
Tennessees second fall scrimmage brought a little more clarity to a few spots and a little more intrigue to one of the deeper battles on the roster. As the Volunteers continue preparing for the 2026 opener against Furman, the secondary got a boost from newcomers TJ Metcalf and Dejuan Lane, who both stepped in for injured Edrees Farooq and came away with interceptions. It was the kind of showing that can matter in August, especially for a defense still sorting out how the pieces fit after camp.
Faizon Brandon also flashed the running ability that can add another layer to Tennessees offense, but the job still appears unsettled at right tackle. Ory Williams and Jesse Perry remain locked in a competition there, and it is the sort of battle that can quietly shape how smooth everything else looks once the season starts. For now, the Vols have a few encouraging signs and at least one starting-caliber decision still waiting to be made. [Read more 🡒]