Tennessee
Ernest Jones, ‘shocked’ by Rams trade, may be Tennessee Titans final piece in defense’s rebuild
Ernest Jones IV got off the Los Angeles Rams team plane on Saturday with no idea of what was about to happen.
“I’m just going to be completely honest: I was shocked. We got off the flight from Houston and then I got told that I would be traded,” Jones said Wednesday. “No bad blood. There wasn’t even any contract talks. We never even talked numbers. It was just ‘All right, y’all aren’t extending me, I’ll play this year out.’ I was under the impression I was going to finish this year in L.A. and then I’d move on. But you know, it happened earlier.”
What happened earlier was the Tennessee Titans traded a fifth-round pick in exchange for Jones and a sixth-round pick, adding depth to an inside linebacker room that sorely needed it. Just three days after being informed he’d be traded, Jones landed in Nashville — at 8:42 p.m., as he remembers it — and about 18 hours later he was practicing as a member of the Titans.
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In Jones, the Titans add a player who can stuff against the run and create havoc as a blitzer. His 145 tackles were the 11th-most in the NFL last season, and his 37 quarterback pressures were the most recorded by any inside linebacker. He joins a revamped room that also features former first-round pick Kenneth Murray Jr., who the Titans signed in March, and draft picks Cedric Gray and James Williams, as well as returning starter Jack Gibbens.
Murray’s starting job appears to be safe after the Jones acquisition. Gibbens’ job may not be.
“Ernest has to come in and earn the spot,” Titans general manager Ran Carthon said. “He hasn’t been here. It’s up for (Jones and Gibbens) to figure it out.”
Jones was a full participant in Titans practice Wednesday. He says he worked in all the individual drills and got a few reps in team activities, but that was his first exposure to the Titans’ system. He didn’t have a chance to study the team playbook before practice, and says the Titans are trying to “feed (him) in slow” as opposed to pushing him with too much too quickly. This approach tracks with the way the Titans handled safety Quandre Diggs’ acclimation process after signing him in early August, waiting a couple weeks before installing him in the starting lineup.
Jones didn’t practice much for the Rams this offseason, but he says that had less to do with any pain or discomfort he’s feeling due to a lingering knee issue and more to do with the Rams managing his health. “When they told me not to practice,” Jones said, “I didn’t practice. That was that.”
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Now the priority for the Titans is getting Jones, and the linebacker room at-large, ready for Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. Gray is heading to injured reserve with a designation to return because of a recurring nerve injury that’s limited him in camp. Garret Wallow and Chance Campbell, the Titans’ No. 2 options at the start of training camp, are both on season-ending injured reserve. Backups Luke Gifford and Otis Reese IV are both recovering from time spent in the concussion protocol.
Jones is both the last piece in an offseason-long rebuild of the Titans defense that’s also included adding Diggs, Murray, cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie and defensive linemen Sebastian Joseph-Day and T’Vondre Sweat as potential starters and an added question mark for a defense trying to figure out what it’ll look like when the season begins on Sept. 8.
None of this was in the plans for Jones, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t in good spirits.
“If you look from top to bottom, there’s some really good ballplayers on that side of the football,” Jones said. “I’m really excited about what we can do when we go out there and put it all on tape. That gets me excited coming into this building.”
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Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.
Published on Mar. 3, 2026
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According to ESPN’s latest NFL mock draft, three former Tennessee Volunteers players are projected to be selected in the top 60 picks of the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood are both projected to be first-round picks, while wide receiver Chris Brazzell II is projected to be a second-round selection.
Why it matters
The strong NFL Draft projections for Tennessee players highlight the continued talent development and success of the Volunteers football program under head coach Josh Heupel. If these projections hold true, it would mark the first time Tennessee has had two first-round picks and three players selected in the top 60 overall during Heupel’s tenure.
The details
Cornerback Jermod McCoy is projected to be selected 29th overall by the Los Angeles Rams, despite not participating in on-field workouts at the NFL Combine due to a previous ACL injury. Teammate Colton Hood is projected to be the final pick of the first round, going 32nd overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Wide receiver Chris Brazzell II impressed at the Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and is projected to be a second-round pick, going 60th overall to the Buffalo Bills.
- The NFL Combine was held in late February 2026.
- Tennessee’s Pro Day workouts are scheduled for the end of March 2026.
- The 2026 NFL Draft will take place in April-May 2026.
The players
Jermod McCoy
A cornerback for the Tennessee Volunteers who is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, despite missing the 2025 season due to an ACL injury.
Colton Hood
A cornerback for the Tennessee Volunteers who is projected to be a first-round pick, going 32nd overall to the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Chris Brazzell II
A wide receiver for the Tennessee Volunteers who impressed at the NFL Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and is projected to be a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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What they’re saying
“If we’re going strictly by talent, McCoy is a top-10 prospect in this class. But he hasn’t played a game since 2024, missing all of last season after suffering an ACL tear in January 2025. We’re still not sure where he’s at in his recovery, as he did not participate in testing or drills at the combine. This gives the Rams — who haven’t drafted a corner in the first round since 2006 or before Day 3 since 2019 — the potential to get a steal here. McCoy is an easy mover who has squeaky-clean technique.”
— Jordan Reid, ESPN Analyst (ESPN)
“The reigning champions have a clear need at corner, as Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen are both scheduled to be free agents. Hood is a scheme-versatile player who can thrive in press man while also having the fluidity to excel in zone. A former all-state center fielder in high school, Hood’s ball skills frequently show up on tape (10 pass breakups and an interception last season). With his poised technique and wrap-up-and-finish tackling, he would fit well on the outside of Mike Macdonald’s secondary.”
— Jordan Reid, ESPN Analyst (ESPN)
“The Bills need someone who can separate on the outside, and Brazzell is an ‘X’ receiver who can be a deep vertical threat. He can also sink his weight and run a true route tree, making him a good fit with quarterback Josh Allen.”
— Jordan Reid, ESPN Analyst (ESPN)
What’s next
Tennessee’s Pro Day workouts are scheduled for the end of March 2026, where McCoy plans to participate in on-field drills to further showcase his recovery from the ACL injury. Strong performances at the Pro Day could potentially push McCoy back up draft boards into the top half of the first round.
The takeaway
The strong NFL Draft projections for Tennessee players demonstrate the continued talent development and success of the Volunteers football program under head coach Josh Heupel. If these projections hold true, it would mark a significant milestone for the program, with Tennessee potentially having two first-round picks and three players selected in the top 60 overall for the first time during Heupel’s tenure.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WCYB) — Tennessee Athletics’ “Big Orange Caravan” presented by Pilot will roll into the Tri-Cities on April 30, bringing some of the university’s most recognizable faces to Kingsport.
The statewide tour, a collaboration between Tennessee Athletics and the UT Knoxville Office of Alumni Affairs, features Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes, women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell, head football coach Josh Heupel and “Voice of the Vols” Mike Keith.
The Tri-Cities stop is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, at Meadowview Convention Center, 1901 Meadowview Parkway, Kingsport, Tennessee. Doors open at 5 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet session with the headliners from 5:30-6:15 p.m. The program begins at 6:15 p.m.
Hosted by Keith, the evening will include stories, program insight and a question-and-answer session with Tennessee’s athletics leaders and coaches. The UT Spirit Squads also will be in attendance.
Tickets are $30, plus taxes and fees, and include light food options. A cash bar, along with additional light food and appetizers, will be available.
Of each ticket sold, $5 will benefit the local UT Alumni chapter’s scholarship endowment and $10 will go toward the My All Campaign.
The Tri-Cities event is the final stop of the three-city spring tour. The caravan opens in Chattanooga on April 28 before heading to Nashville on April 29. As announced last spring, Chattanooga and Memphis will alternate as tour stops each year.
The Big Orange Caravan is designed to connect Tennessee coaches and administrators with fans across the state, offering behind-the-scenes insight and celebrating the support of the Volunteer community.
Tickets for the Tri-Cities stop can be purchased at https://www.gofevo.com/event/BOCTriCities26
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Tennessee star Nate Ament will miss a game against South Carolina on Tuesday, the program announced on Monday night. Ament was injured during a weekend contest against Alabama.
Ament was injured when he was rolled up on while going for a loose ball. His leg twisted awkwardly underneath him, and Ament immediately went to the locker room.
He would return briefly in the second half. Nate Ament even made a basket, but then he appeared to tweak his injury shortly after and returned to the bench. He did not re-enter the contest.
Tennessee issued a short statement on his availability against South Carolina. The program released the statement on Twitter.
“Nate Ament will not play tomorrow night at South Carolina,” Tennessee wrote. “Ament is out due to a right leg injury sustained Saturday against Alabama. The timetable for his return is to be determined and he will continue to be evaluated.”
A 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman, Ament has been one of Tennessee’s best players all season. He is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game. He’s also the team’s leading rebounder, securing 6.4 rebounds per game.
Nate Ament signs NIL deal with Reebok
On3’s Nick Schultz recently published a list of some of the top brands to sign college basketball freshmen to NIL deals. Ament was one of the top signees.
In addition to Arkansas star Darius Acuff, Ament signed with Reebok this year. Ament was the crown jewel of Tennessee’s recruiting class. He signed with the brand in October 2024 while he was the No. 4 overall player from the 2025 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.
Nate Ament sits second on the Tennessee roster with 17.4 points per game, and his 6.4 rebounds on average leads the Vols. Additionally, his $1.3 million On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 14 in college basketball and No. 56 in the On3 NIL 100.
On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.
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