Tennessee
ESPN lists Tennessee draftee as non-first-round pick that could star in NFL
ESPN lists Tennessee draftee as non-first-round pick that could star in NFL
Tennessee football could have a star defensive lineman in the NFL out of this draft class, and it’s not even necessarily first-round pick James Pearce Jr.
While Pearce is projected to make a quick and significant impact, Omarr Norman-Lott is also getting attention as a potential critical piece for his new team.
ESPN released a ranking of 10 offensive and defensive rookies not selected in the first round that could ‘make the greatest immediate impact as rookies’ or ‘star this NFL season.’
This included Norman-Lott.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Norman-Lott clocked in at No. 7 on the list of defenders. He was selected by the Chiefs with the No. 63 pick in the draft during the second round.
“Adding another defensive tackle was a priority for the Chiefs early in this draft, considering they lost Tershawn Wharton in free agency,” ESPN’s Field Yates wrote. “Having another big body on the defensive line can make life easier for Chris Jones. Norman-Lott is a standout pass rusher from inside, showing disruptive up-field rush skills that helped him to 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Playing next to Jones should create plenty of one-on-one rush reps for him.”
Receiving an honorable mention nod was another former Tennessee defensive lineman. Drafted by the Dolphins, Jordan Phillips was mentioned. However, he finished his career at Maryland.
Norman-Lott is coming off his second season with Tennessee. In his final year, he played in all 13 games. He recorded 18 tackles, four tackles for loss, four sacks and three quarterback hurries during the season.
In his first year in Knoxville as a junior, Norman-Lott played in 10 games. During that time, he earned 26 tackles, six tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Prior to joining the Vols, Norman-Lott played his first pair of seasons at Arizona State.
As a sophomore with the Sun Devils, Norman-Lott played in nine games and started a pair. He posted 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
As a true freshman with Arizona State, Norman-Lott played in 11 games and recorded 30 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks.
Norman-Lott is from Sacramento, California, where he played at Grant.
As a member of the 2020 class, he was a four-star prospect who chose Arizona State. He ranked as the No. 30 player in the state and No. 28 defensive tackle in the class.
Tennessee
Vols Make Splash Hire With Jim Knowles | VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Tennessee Football | The RTI Low Down | Rocky Top Insider

On this week’s episode of The RTI Low Down, Bob Baskerville and Chris Low are diving into a huge week for the Tennessee Football program.
The guys start the show by discussing the Vols’ big move to fire Tim Banks and the splash hire in acquiring defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Bob and Chris are then joined by VFL and SEC Legend Kevin Burnett to talk about his time on Rocky Top, his thoughts on playing under defensive coordinators, Josh Heupel’s current team, and more.
The guys close down the show by breaking down Tennessee’s 2026 schedule, Vol Hoops’ tough test on the hardwood this week, and much more. Download and subscribe TODAY!
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The RTI Low-Down is brought to you by the Tate Insurance Group. Find out more information at www.tateinsurancegroup.com
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More from RTI: Tennessee Football 2025 Transfer Tracker – Who has Announced They’re Entering the Portal So Far
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YouTube –
0:00 Intro
8:30 Tennessee Fires Tim Banks, Hires Jim Knowles
21:25 VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Vol Football!
43:20 UT 2026 Schedule
50:17 Tennessee Basketball Faces Huge Test on Tuesday
1:01:06 Close
Tennessee
Remembering one of Middle Tennessee’s largest tornado outbreaks 4 years later
Tennessee
Tracking Music City Bowl opt outs for Tennessee and Illinois
Tracking the opt outs for both Tennessee and Illinois before the Music City Bowl on December 30 (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville:
Tennessee
Linebacker Arion Carter: Carter over the last seasons had 96 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 31 career games. He had a team-high 76 tackles this season, with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while appearing in 10 games. He missed two games and was limited against Oklahoma in November while dealing with turf toe injuries. Carter had 68 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games last season and 17 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in eight games as a freshman in 2023.
Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II: He a breakout senior season in his second year with the Vols, catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 19 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, after transferring from Tulane. In 15 games at Tulane he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Brazzell is ranked No. 7 at wide receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft Big Board. He’s ranked No. 34 overall on ESPN’s list of the best available prospects in the draft.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy: Did not play this season after tearing his ACL during offseason training in January. He was a star last season with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.
Illinois
Offensive Tackle J.C. Davis: Bret Bielema said the Illinois starting left tackle is opting out of the Music City Bowl. He was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the league coaches this season and the No. 3 left tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus grades. He had made 49 straight starts before opting out of the bowl game.
EDGE Gabe Jacas: The Illinois outside linebacker declared for the NFL Draft on Friday night. He led the Big Ten this season with 11.0 sacks. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles in 12 games this season. He finishes second in Illinois program history for career sacks, with 27.0, trailing only Simeon Rice. Jacas had 74 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss last season, after combining for 8.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons at Illinois.
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