The road to the NFL Draft winds through Mobile, Alabama this week, where five Tennessee Volunteers are set to showcase their talents in Saturday’s Panini Senior Bowl - the final stop on the college all-star circuit. It’s a big moment for these draft hopefuls, and it marks Tennessee’s strongest Senior Bowl presence in over two decades.
The Vols will be well-represented when the National Team takes the field at Hancock Whitney Stadium, with defensive linemen Bryson Eason and Tyre West, cornerback Colton Hood, defensive back Jalen McMurray, and running back Star Thomas all suiting up. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised on NFL Network - with former Tennessee standout Charles Davis on the call.
This is Tennessee’s largest Senior Bowl contingent since 2002, when five Vols - including Travis Stephens and Fred Weary - made the trip to Mobile. The program record still stands at seven participants, set back in 2000. But this year’s group has a chance to make some noise, especially with one name already drawing serious buzz.
Colton Hood: Tennessee’s Headliner
Let’s start with the player generating the most NFL Draft heat: Colton Hood. The cornerback has been climbing draft boards all season, and now he’s got a spotlight to match.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah slotted Hood as the No. 12 overall pick in his first mock draft and ranked him No. 16 on his initial top-50 board. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. lists him as the No. 6 cornerback in the class.
Hood’s journey has been a winding one - starting at Auburn in 2023, transferring to Colorado, and finally landing in Knoxville, where he broke out in 2025. His All-SEC redshirt sophomore season featured 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, two defensive touchdowns, and the second-highest Pro Football Focus coverage grade (83.3) among SEC corners.
He measured in this week at 5-foot-11 3/4 and 188 pounds, with 8 7/8-inch hands and 31.5-inch arms - solid numbers for a corner who’s shown he can play physical and still cover ground.
Jalen McMurray: Versatility on Display
Jalen McMurray’s path to the Senior Bowl came through consistency and adaptability. A fifth-year senior and second-year transfer from Temple, McMurray shifted from outside corner to Tennessee’s starting Star position - a hybrid role that demands coverage skills, physicality, and football IQ.
In 2025, he logged 56 tackles, two tackles for loss, five pass breakups, and two sacks. His leadership and versatility became staples of the Vols’ secondary, and those traits are exactly what NFL scouts are looking for in rotational defensive backs.
McMurray checked in at 5-foot-10 5/8 and 179 pounds, with 8 1/8-inch hands and 30 1/8-inch arms.
Bryson Eason: The Long Haul Payoff
Few players at this year’s Senior Bowl have logged more college snaps than Bryson Eason. The Memphis native spent his entire six-year career at Tennessee, transitioning from a four-star linebacker recruit into a rock-solid defensive tackle. He started 34 games, including all 26 over the past two seasons.
Eason’s career totals - 105 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups, and two fumble recoveries in 61 games - reflect a player who steadily improved and found a role in the trenches. At 6-foot-2 3/8 and 316 pounds, with nearly 34-inch arms, he brings the kind of frame and experience that should draw interest from teams looking to bolster their defensive line rotation.
Tyre West: Late Add, Big Opportunity
Tyre West wasn’t on the initial Senior Bowl roster, but his performance in last week’s American Bowl - where he logged three tackles and batted down a pass - earned him a midweek call-up. He practiced Thursday and will suit up Saturday, giving him another shot to impress scouts.
West’s college production is nothing to overlook. He posted 65 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks during his Tennessee career, including 7.5 TFLs and four sacks as a senior in 2025. For a player added late in the process, this week is a golden opportunity to boost his draft stock.
Star Thomas: Dual-Threat Back with a Journey
Like West, running back Star Thomas played in the American Bowl and now gets a chance to prove himself again in Mobile. The Duke transfer was Tennessee’s second-leading rusher in 2025, finishing with 596 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, plus two more scores through the air.
Thomas’ career has spanned multiple programs, including a standout all-conference season at New Mexico State in 2023 and a productive year at Duke in 2024. That kind of adaptability - producing in different systems and conferences - is something NFL evaluators notice, especially for backs with pass-catching ability.
A Strong Showing for the Josh Heupel Era
This year’s group brings Tennessee’s total to 14 Senior Bowl representatives during Josh Heupel’s tenure - matching the program’s best five-year stretch since 2002-06. That’s not just a testament to the talent coming through Knoxville, but also to the development players are getting once they arrive.
Saturday’s game is more than just an exhibition. It’s a final audition in front of NFL coaches, GMs, and scouts - a chance for these Vols to turn strong college careers into pro opportunities. And with five players in the mix, Tennessee will be one of the most-watched programs on the field in Mobile.