Tennessee

Jermod McCoy and Dylan Sampson Named All-Americans

Published

1 year ago

January 16, 2025

Jermod McCoy and Dylan Sampson Named All-Americans

The Volunteers Dylan Sampson and Jermod McCoy were both named to the ESPN All-American second team.

After stellar seasons Dylan Sampson and Jermod McCoy were both selected to the second team of ESPN’s All-American team. Sampson led the rushing attack for the Volunteers and led the Southeastern Conference in carries, yards and touchdowns on the ground. McCoy was a vital piece of the volunteer defense and had a stellar sophomore season.

Sampson was an electric back for the Volunteers in 2024. The 5-foot-11 201-pound back mixed size and speed with elite vision to explode through running lanes and punish second level defenders. He finished the season with 258 carries for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns.

With Sampson’s help, the Volunteers led the SEC in rushing yards for the second season in a row. Sampson was the true definition of a workhorse, leading all SEC players in plays from scrimmage with 278.

Being named to the ESPN All-American team is another award Sampson can add to his resume as he takes his talents to the NFL. Last month Sampson announced he would be forgoing his senior year and entering his name into the NFL draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. rated Sampson as the No. 10 running back prospect eligible for the 2025 draft.

After a solid freshman season at Oregon State, during which McCoy racked up 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups, the young corner decided to enter the transfer portal. Tennessee earned the four-star transfer commitment, and McCoy made an immediate impact for the Volunteers. The 6-foot 193-pound corner had 44 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups. Unfortunately, Tennessee will be without McCoy for spring practices after the young corner tore his ACL during an off-season workout.

McCoy helped lead one of the top defenses in the country in just his sophomore season. The Volunteers only allowed 293 yards per game which was second in the SEC.

Tennessee has consistently had some of the top talent in the nation and this year was no different with Sampson and McCoy both having outstanding seasons and being named to the ESPN All-American second team.

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Tennessee

‘Two seconds’: How technology plays a role in distracted driving in Tennessee

Published

5 hours ago

February 18, 2026

Press Room

‘Two seconds’: How technology plays a role in distracted driving in Tennessee

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — According to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office data for 2026, a distracted driver is involved in a crash every 43 minutes.

We spoke with the vice president of State Farm as well as an AAA spokesperson on some of the misconceptions about distracted driving and how technology plays a factor in safe habits on the road.

A new AAA study shows how effective smartphone blocking technology is when it comes to minimizing accidents across Tennessee.

Almost all 50 states have texting ban laws, with Tennessee passing the hands-free law back in 2019.

State Farm experts say that even just taking your eyes off the road for two seconds is a form of distraction

“So it’s definitely more than just cell phones. And through our research, we found that the cognitive or the mental distraction is just as dangerous as physically holding something, you know, putting on makeup, holding a cell phone. Those cognitive distractions are a little bit more sneaky. So what we found is, not only do they exist, but hands-free is not risk-free, said Megan Cooper, AAA Spokesperson.”

“We can change things. We can put our phones away. We can turn on the Do Not Disturb mode. We can get, I got a car seat for the dog, and she sits in the back. There are things that we can do ourselves, and even for those of you who think maybe it’s not a problem, all we have to do is look around right, we see those drivers doing a little quick swerve because they’re probably on their phone, said Sara Frank, Frankowiak, Vice President, State Farm.”

One area the study focused on was why some drivers avoid using the “Do Not Disturb” feature.

A recent survey showed that 68 percent of people admitted to some sort of distracted driving habits.

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Tennessee

J.P. Estrella injury update, Tennessee basketball forward doubtful vs Oklahoma

Published

18 hours ago

February 17, 2026

Press Room

J.P. Estrella injury update, Tennessee basketball forward doubtful vs Oklahoma

Tennessee basketball may be missing a key starter in its next game.

Redshirt sophomore J.P. Estrella is doubtful for the Vols’ SEC matchup against Oklahoma on Feb. 18 at Food City Center (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2). He is dealing with a lower body injury.

Estrella has dealt with a handful of injuries the past few seasons. He played in just three games before getting season-ending foot surgery in 2024-25. He missed the Vols’ game against Tennessee State Nov. 20 due to a bone bruise in his left knee and against Syracuse Dec. 2 with a right ankle injury. During the summer, he dealt with another ankle injury.

DeWayne Brown II filled in for the Vols when Felix Okpara was out with a calf injury. He could slot in the starting role again if Estrella is ruled out.

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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