Together with the 2024 Pre-Season All-American Team, Phil Steele released his annual College Football Pre-Season Magazine. Two Tennessee football players—one offensive and one defensive—were selected to the Pre-Season All-American Team.
The two players who made the All-American team are offensive lineman Cooper Mays and edge rusher James Pearce Jr., according to the Tennessee football Twitter/X account. Both players have the potential to be elite players at their positions as they begin their draft-eligible seasons.
In his sophomore year, Pearce had a breakthrough campaign the previous year. He made appearances in all 13 games and tallied 10 sacks, 1 interception for a touchdown, and 28 total tackles. That was good enough to draw national notice, and projections for the 2025 draft placed him among the top five picks.
Over the past few seasons, Mays has been a leader in the trenches for the Vols and one of the most reliable players on the offensive line. Entering his final season of eligibility, he will try to maintain his position as the center of the Vols offense.
Seven players from Tennessee were also selected to the Pre-Season All-SEC Team. Punter Jackson Ross, running back Dylan Sampson, offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins, defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, and receiver Squirrel White join Pearce and Mays.
Josh Heupel has guided the Vols to a 27-12 record in his four seasons on Rocky Top. The team is about to embark on its fourth season. Redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava will be the leader of Heupel’s trademarked, potent offense and could make the expanded College Football Playoff.
The CFP will include 12 teams for the first time since it began ten years ago, giving Tennessee the opportunity to receive an at-large bid into the playoffs in the event that they are unable to win the conference.
On August 31 at 12:45 PM ET, Tennessee will play Chattanooga in Neyland Stadium to begin the season. Then, on Duke’s Mayo Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 7:30 PM ET, the Vols will take on ACC contender North Carolina State in their first test of the season.
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