Tennessee
VFLs in the NFL: Season in review for former Tennessee standouts
VFLs in the NFL: Season in review for former Tennessee standouts
The NFL regular season is over and the playoffs are about to be underway.
This marks the end for some former Tennessee standouts while others continue the hunt for a Super Bowl.
Here is how each former Vol performed this year.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Trey Smith (OG) – Chiefs
The lone Pro Bowler out of Tennessee this year is Smith. The Chiefs’ starting right guard, Smith produced a PFF grade of 78.8. This was the sixth-best on Kansas City. The Chiefs are now the 1-seed in the AFC.
Alvin Kamara (RB) – Saints
In 14 games, Kamara was a workhouse like usual for the Saints. He hit 6,779 rushing yards which is the franchise record. His final line on the year was 950 rushing yards and six touchdowns with 68 receptions for 543 yards and two touchdowns.
Jauan Jennings (WR) – 49ers
Jennings had a breakout year for the 49ers. With injuries decimating the wide receiver room, Jennings stepped up to produce 975 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 15 games played.
Darnell Wright (OT) – Bears
A former top-10 pick in his second year with the Bears, Wright was Chicago’s starter at right tackle. He finished the year with a PFF grade of 62.4.
Byron Young (OLB) – Rams
After an elite rookie year, Young continued his effective play as a sophomore. He finished with 62 tackles and 7.5 sacks with a forced fumble. Los Angeles won its division and is in the playoffs.
Joshua Palmer (WR) – Chargers
While battling through injury and appearing in just 15 games, Palmer had another solid year. He posted 39 catches for 584 yards and a touchdown with the Chargers who made a push to the playoffs.
Alontae Taylor (CB) – Saints
Emerging as one of the best young cornerbacks in the NFL, Taylor had another year of personal success. On a bad Saints team, he managed 89 tackles, two forced fumbles and 16 passes defended. This came in appearances in all 17 games.
Cedric Tillman (WR) – Browns
Before injury derailed his breakout season, Tillman was hitting his stride with the Browns. He put up 339 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games during his second year.
Derek Barnett (DE) – Texans
Capping off the season with a scoop-and-score touchdown, Barnett appeared in 16 games in his second year with the Texans. He produced 26 tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles.
Jaylen McCollough (S) – Rams
McCollough ended up possibly being the best undrafted free agent in the class. In his rookie year, he was a big part of the playoff-bound Rams’ defense where he contributed 43 tackles and four interceptions.
Darrell Taylor (DE) – Bears
In his first year with the Bears, Taylor had another productive year. With Chicago, he produced 32 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
Shy Tuttle (DT) – Panthers
In year two with the Panthers, Tuttle appeared in 15 games. He posted 46 tackles and forced a fumble.
Cade Mays (C) – Panthers
Mays made nine appearances and eight starts, all at center. He was given a PFF grade of 66.1 on the year.
Jaylen Wright (RB) – Dolphins
In his rookie year, Wright was a bit buried on the depth chart. He still put up 249 yards on 68 carries with the Dolphins.
Cordarrelle Patterson (RB) – Steelers
In his first year with the Steelers, Patterson saw as little run as he’s seen in his long career. He rushed the ball 32 times for 135 yards. He also caught 12 passes for 80. Pittsburgh earned a wildcard spot.
Hendon Hooker (QB) – Lions
Hooker played the role of Jared Goff’s backup this year in his first year fully healthy. He posted 62 passing yards in relief. Detroit is the top seed in the NFC.
Joe Milton III (QB) – Patriots
Milton didn’t play in a single game until the final one of the year. In a game that would’ve gave the Patriots the No. 1 overall pick with a loss, Milton led New England to a win with 241 passing yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 16 yards and a score on 10 carries.
Joshua Dobbs (QB) – 49ers
Dobbs carved out a role as a career backup and continued it with the 49ers. He posted 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while making one start.
Jalen Reeves-Maybin (LB) – Lions
Considered one of the best special teamers in the NFL, Reeves-Maybin also is a reserve linebacker for the Lions. He posted 14 tackles and a forced fumble for the top NFC team in the conference.
Jalin Hyatt (WR) – Giants
It’s been tough sledding for Hyatt in his early career. In year two, he caught eight passes for 62 yards in limited action.
Theo Jackson (S) – Vikings
On the top wildcard team in the NFC, Jackson is a reserve safety for the Vikings. He earned 17 tackles and an interception in his third year.
Morgan Cox (LS) – Titans
Cox wasn’t able to reach his sixth Pro Bowl but he had another impressive season as Tennessee’s long snapper.
John Kelly Jr. (RB) – Browns
Kelly was a member of the Browns’ active roster but did not record any stats this season. He also played two games with the Ravens.
Velus Jones Jr. (WR) – Panthers
After being let go by the Bears, Jones found a new home with the Panthers. He caught one pass for eight yards.
Dee Williams (PR/KR) – Giants
Williams began the year as the Seahawks’ returner but costly mistakes put him back on the market. The Giants scooped him up off waivers.
Ramel Keyton (WR) – Raiders
As an undrafted free agent, Keyton earned a spot on the Raiders’ active roster. He caught one pass for seven yards as a rookie.
Emmanuel Moseley (CB) – Lions
Moseley missed the season on the non-football injury list.
Princeton Fant (TE) – Cowboys
Fant spent a lot of time on the practice squad but was on the active roster by the end of the year. He did not record any stats.
Michael Palardy (P) – Cardinals
Palardy revived his career with the Cardinals at the end of the year. In four games, he had a long of 54 yards and downed one punt inside the 20 in 13 attempts.
Matthew Butler (DT) – Raiders
Butler appeared in seven games with the Raiders this year. He produced nine tackles.
Micah Abernathy (S) – Falcons
Aberthany appeared in six games where he made three tackles with the Falcons.
Cameron Sutton (CB) – Steelers
After an alleged domestic violence led to a warrant issued for his arrest, Sutton was cut by the Lions while not turning himself in to police. He eventually turned himself in and was charged with misdemeanor battery. The Steelers signed him and he contributed 15 tackles and three passes defended.
Practice Squad
– Kamal Hadden (CB) – Packers
– Jerome Carvin (OG) – Jaguars
– McCallan Castles (TE) – Chargers
– Marquez Callaway (WR) – Buccaneers
– Gabe Jeudy-Lally (CB) – Titans
– Jabari Small (RB) – Titans
Tennessee
US immigration authorities arrest Spanish-language news reporter in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee but agents didn’t have a warrant, according to court documents filed by this week her lawyer.
Estefany Rodriguez Flores, a reporter for Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of ICE, was arrested Wednesday during a traffic stop and is being detained by ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, according to documents filed in federal court in Nashville. Her lawyers called for her immediate release.
Rodriguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the U.S lawfully and has been living in the U.S. for the past five years, court records filed by her lawyer show. She has a valid work permit, and she has applied for political asylum and legal status though her husband, who is a U.S. citizen.
Rodriguez was with her husband in a marked Nashville Noticias vehicle when it was surrounded by several other vehicles and she was taken to a detention center, the news outlet said in a statement.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
ICE scheduled a meeting with Rodriguez on her case but it was rescheduled twice, first because the office was closed during a winter storm and the second time because an agent couldn’t find her appointment in the system, her lawyers said in court documents.
A new meeting was then set for March 17.
When she was arrested, Rodriguez was not shown any arrest warrant, only an immigration document telling her to appear before ICE. Her lawyer, Joel Coxander, has spoken to an ICE agent who indicated that there was no arrest warrant for her at the time of her arrest, her lawyer said in court documents.
Rodriguez joined Nashville Noticias in 2022, covering social, family, health, police and immigration issues, the news outlet’s statement said.
“She needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law,” the statement said.
Read the full statement:
“Official Statement from Nashville Noticias Regarding the Detention of Our Colleague Reporter Estefany Rodríguez by ICE Agents
On March 4, Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, was with her husband, Alejandro Medina III, outside the gym located at 2615 Murfreesboro Pike, when the vehicle they were traveling in (marked with the Nashville Noticias logo) was surrounded by several other vehicles. Several men got out and demanded that our colleague be taken into custody for reasons that the legal team will specify at a later date.
Estefany Rodríguez was taken to a detention center.
Estefany Rodríguez holds a degree in journalism from Colombia, her native country, where she has worked for several years at various news outlets. She joined the Nashville Noticias team in 2022, covering social, family, health, police, and immigration issues.
Nashville Noticias LLC expresses its respect for the laws of the United States and hopes that this situation will be resolved favorably for our colleague so that she can be released soon, as she needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law. Her legal team at MIRA Legal, as well as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (TIRRC), are providing legal representation in the case and will have details on the progress and responses from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Federal Court.
Nashville Noticias will also be providing updates on its social media platforms and website, nashvillenoticias.com.
We trust in the justice system of the United States of America.
Respectfully,
Nashville Noticias LLC
March 5 2026″
Tennessee
Lady Vols fall to Alabama in SEC Tournament for seventh loss in row
GREENVILLE, SC – Lady Vols basketball had an underwhelming showing against Alabama, and it led to a winless trip to the SEC Tournament.
No. 6 seed Tennessee (16-13) never led in the second-round matchup with No. 11 Alabama (23-9) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 5, and extended its losing streak to seven games with the 76-64 loss.
Janiah Barker led the Lady Vols with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting, five rebounds and a steal, but also had seven turnovers. Zee Spearman added 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting with six rebounds, an assist and two blocks.
Talaysia Cooper, the team’s leading scorer, did not play in the game after 6:27 left in the third quarter. She had four points on 1-for-4 shooting with two assists, two steals and a rebound in 12 minutes.
The Lady Vols tied the game 12-12 in the first quarter, and by halftime they trailed by double digits – they never came back within single digits after halftime. Their defense didn’t show any improvement as they allowed Alabama to shoot 50% from the field and gave up 19 points off their 18 turnovers. Tennessee only scored 11 points off 13 forced turnovers.
The Lady Vols fell behind early when Alabama destroyed their press, passing through it for easy buckets to build a lead. When Tennessee stopped pressing, it still couldn’t get enough stops in the halfcourt. Alabama outscored UT 36-24 in the paint.
Freshman guard Deniya Prawl, who was listed as out on the SEC availability report, was not on the bench with the team.
Watch Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama
Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama: Live score updates
Tennessee got outscored 22-17 in the third and Alabama took a 61-46 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tide shot 55% from the field in the third.
Tennessee’s defense couldn’t get a stop on defense, and it wasn’t even pressing much anymore. Alabama went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-point lead before Zee Spearman hit a layup to cut it to 15, and Tennessee trailed 53-38 at the media timeout with 4:55 left in the third quarter.
Alabama outscored Tennessee 8-3 to open the third quarter, and after five straight points for the Tide that included a late closeout by Talaysia Cooper and a turnover on the inbound by Janiah Barker, Kim Caldwell called timeout with 8:47 left in the quarter.
Caldwell was not happy and yelled, “wake up!” as she walked onto the court to meet her team. Alabama led 47-32.
Tennessee’s defense got better in the second quarter, and it held Alabama to 14 points. However, its shotmaking did not improve and it committed eight turnovers. The Tide scored 12 points off Tennessee’s 12 turnovers.
The Lady Vols only scored 11 points in the second. Janiah Barker led the team with nine points on 3-for-6 shooting with two rebounds in the first half. Zee Spearman added seven points on 3-for-4 shooting with four rebounds, an assist and a block.
The Lady Vols regrouped between quarters and outscored Alabama 5-2 in the first three minutes of the second. Nya Robertson hit a 3-pointer and Zee Spearman scored off an offensive rebound to cut Alabama’s lead to 27-23 with 6:47 left in the quarter.
Alabama passed through Tennessee’s press with ease and immediately retook the lead. The Lady Vols weren’t hitting shots and couldn’t get a stop defensively, either. The Tide shot 55% from the field and scored 18 points in the paint.
Alabama also scored seven points off of Tennessee’s four turnovers and outrebounded UT 11-8.
Alabama jumped out to a 12-7 lead, but then Zee Spearman scored five straight points to tie the game 12-12. Then Tennessee was two seconds away from trapping the Tide in the backcourt before Kristy Curry had to call timeout with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
Janiah Barker also had five early points for the Lady Vols.
Deniya Prawl out on SEC injury report
Freshman Deniya Prawl was listed as out on the SEC student-athlete availability report on March 4.
The 6-foot-2 guard has been a solid piece of the rotation for Tennessee this season. Prawl has averaged 3.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and a steal in 15.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.4% from the field.
When does Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama start?
- Date: Thursday, March 5
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina
What TV channel is Lady Vols vs. Alabama on today?
Lady Vols basketball 2025-26 schedule, TV times
- Nov. 4: NC State 80, Tennessee 77
- Nov. 7: Tennessee 97, ETSU 47
- Nov. 9: Tennessee 72, UT Martin 61
- Nov. 13: Tennessee 68, Belmont 58
- Nov. 20: Tennessee 85, MTSU 41
- Nov. 23: Tennessee 88, Coppin State 35
- Nov. 30: UCLA 99, Tennessee 77
- Dec. 3: Tennessee 65, Stanford 62
- Dec. 14: Tennessee 112, Winthrop 40
- Dec. 20: Louisville 89, Tennessee 65
- Dec. 22: Tennessee 89, Southern Indiana 44
- Jan. 1: Tennessee 76, Florida 65
- Jan. 4: Tennessee 73, Auburn 56
- Jan. 8: Tennessee 90, Mississippi State 80
- Jan. 11: Tennessee 85, Arkansas 50
- Jan. 18: Tennessee 70, Alabama 59
- Jan. 22: Tennessee 60, Kentucky 58
- Jan. 29: Mississippi State 77, Tennessee 62
- Feb. 1: UConn 96, Tennessee 66
- Feb. 5: Tennessee 82, Georgia 77
- Feb. 8: South Carolina 93, Tennessee 50
- Feb. 12: Tennessee 98, Missouri 53
- Feb. 15: Texas 65, Tennessee 63
- Feb. 17: Ole Miss 94, Tennessee 81
- Feb. 19: Texas A&M 82, Tennessee 74
- Feb. 22: Oklahoma 100, Tennessee 93
- Feb. 26: LSU 89, Tennessee 73
- March 1: Vanderbilt 87, Tennessee 77
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
Tennessee
How much have Tennessee gas prices risen amid war in Iran?
Gas prices on March 5 have gone up 27 cents in both the U.S., and in Tennessee compared to one week ago, which likely relates to the war in Iran, according to AAA – The Auto Club Group.
The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.25. Tennessee’s average on March 5 is $2.84, according to AAA.
The last time the national average made a similar weekly jump was back in March of 2022 during the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, AAA said.
“Oil prices are rising largely due to growing instability in a region that is essential to global energy markets,” AAA spokesperson Megan Cooper said. “Although the U.S. does not import oil from Iran, the country remains a major producer, supplying nations such as China and India. Any potential disruption to Iranian oil infrastructure can influence global supply expectations.”
Middle Tennessee county averages include:
- Davidson County: $2.90
- Williamson County: $3.12
- Rutherford County: $2.87
- Wilson County: $2.88
- Sumner County: $2.89
- Robertson County: $2.90
- Cheatham County: $2.92
- Maury County: $2.85.
Crude oil pricing correlates to about 60% of what consumers pay at the pump, Cooper said. Recent global tensions tied to the conflict with Iran are adding upward pressure on crude oil prices, according to AAA.
Also, the Strait of Hormuz is a critical connection for the Persian Gulf to open waters as a shipping lane for crude oil. Because oil is traded globally, a shortfall in one region can impact prices throughout the world.
Tennessee and the southeast portion of the U.S. consistently rank among the least expensive markets for fuel. Proximity to refineries and pipeline infrastructure are major reasons for less expensive gas, according to AAA.
Tennessee is currently the fourth least expensive market in the U.S. for gas. The last time Tennessee’s average was over $3 per gallon for regular unleaded gas was August 2024.
Refineries are also starting the process of producing summer-blend gasoline. which contains additives to help reduce evaporation during warmer months and adds to the cost. Gas demand generally increases with the spring break season and the expectation of more road trips.
Disclaimer: This story was created by reporter Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
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