As Tennessee works through fall camp, the running back room is starting to separate itself in a way Josh Heupel clearly likes. The top of the depth chart is settled with DeSean Bishop, but the real buzz coming out of Saturday’s first scrimmage at Neyland Stadium centered on the young backs behind him.
Heupel singled out Tulane transfer sophomore Javin Gordon along with returning sophomores Daune Morris and Justin Baker, and he liked what he saw from all three.
“Bake (Justin Baker), (Javin) Gordon, Daune (Morris), all of them are playing, competing at a really high level,” Heupel said after the scrimmage. “When you have real competition in your position room, it’s the best friend you have as a coach.
And you can see those guys, they feel the urgency of taking advantage of every rep and every single day. And that room collectively as a group is playing really good football right now.”
Bishop, meanwhile, is coming off a breakout season and is expected to be one of the SEC’s top backs as the focal point of Tennessee’s offense. In 2025, he ran for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns on 182 carries in 13 games, and he enters his senior year with a chance to take another jump.
That makes the depth behind him more than just a luxury. Tennessee will need fresh legs for Bishop over the course of the season, and the workload behind him could become a major factor in keeping him healthy when the grind sets in late.
That supporting cast should get an early chance to show what it can do when Furman comes to town. If things unfold the way Tennessee expects, Bishop’s night should be brief, and the backups will be the ones getting extended looks once the starters rotate out.
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Heupels First Scrimmage Put Tennessees Biggest Camp Questions In Focus
Josh Heupels first fall camp scrimmage offered Tennessee a useful early checkpoint as the Vols continue sorting through two of the biggest questions on the roster. The head coach met with the media afterward and touched on the quarterback competition, while also giving an update on a defense that is in the middle of major change under new coordinator Jim Knowles.
The defensive makeover includes a new coaching staff and transfer additions, which makes every practice rep feel a little more meaningful in August. On offense, the quarterback race remains unsettled, and the next stretch of camp figures to matter as Tennessee keeps evaluating where things stand. Rocky Top Insider will continue following the Vols throughout the fall. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees QB Battle Just Took A Turn Fans Needed To See
Tennessee still has a little time before the season opener against Furman, but the quarterback picture is beginning to come into focus. Five-star freshmen Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre are competing for the job, and Josh Heupel came away from a recent scrimmage talking up the growth both young passers have shown as the Vols work through the final stretch of camp.
The part fans are watching most closely is the direction of the battle after that scrimmage, because one insider in attendance came away with a clear sense that Brandon has the edge right now. Even so, Tennessee has not made anything official yet, which leaves the door open for the competition to keep unfolding as the opener gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fall Camp Just Put Its Biggest Unanswered Questions On Display
Tennessees seventh fall camp practice brought the first real chance to hear how the roster is sorting itself out, with media day giving a look at both sides of the ball. Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope and players including Radarious Jackson, Joakim Dodson, DaSaahn Brame and Trent Thomas all met with reporters, while the buzz around camp stayed centered on a quarterback battle and the early stages of a new defensive setup.
George MacIntyre, Faizon Brandon and Ryan Staub are still in the mix as the offense tries to settle its most important job, and the defense is working through life under coordinator Jim Knowles. There is still plenty to learn before Tennessee gets all the answers it wants, but fall camp is already laying out the biggest questions on the board, and Rocky Top Insider will keep tracking the practices, interviews and analysis as the month moves on. [Read more 🡒]