Five Tennessee football players landed on the 2026 Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team, with the Vols splitting their honors evenly between offense and defense.
Running back DeSean Bishop, guard Wendell Moe Jr. and tackle David Sanders Jr. were named third-team offensive selections. Linebacker Arion Carter and defensive back Ty Redmond were third-team picks on defense.
Bishop’s rise has been one of Tennessee’s sharper storylines. The former walk-on is heading into his second year as the Vols’ starter at running back after putting together a second-team All-SEC season in 2025.
He piled up 1,076 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on 182 carries, becoming Tennessee’s first returning 1,000-yard rusher since Jalen Hurd in 2016. Bishop also added 15 catches for 135 yards and finished with a team-best 1,211 all-purpose yards, which worked out to 93.2 per game.
Moe Jr. is back for his second season in Knoxville and his last year of college football. The Arizona transfer started 11 games and was honored by the Associated Press as a First-Team All-SEC selection.
He has logged more than 2,400 snaps in his career and has given up just two sacks. He also earned a spot on the Walter Camp Preseason All-America Second Team and is on the Outland Trophy preseason watch list.
Sanders Jr. is coming off a freshman season that already put him on the national radar. He played in nine games and started six of them at right tackle, finishing with 480 offensive snaps and not allowing a sack in eight games. That performance brought him Freshman All-America recognition.
On the other side of the ball, Carter returns for his senior season after leading the SEC in tackles per game in 2025. He played in 10 games and made nine starts. His stat line included six tackles for loss, two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, 1.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Redmond, meanwhile, is set for his sophomore year after a standout first season that earned him Freshman All-America honors and third-team All-SEC recognition from the league’s coaches. He started the final 12 games of his freshman campaign and led the SEC with 15 passes defended and 12 pass breakups, while tying for sixth in the league with three interceptions.
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 🡒]