Tennessee
As Tennessee Titans finally give Ran Carthon an honest chance, we all should, too | Estes
We’ve little idea what to expect from Ran Carthon as Tennessee Titans’ true GM, because we’ve not seen him to do it yet.
The Tennessee Titans confirmed their already well-documented coaching hire of Brian Callahan early Wednesday, but that wasn’t the morning’s real news.
They did what they’d spent the past year not doing.
They presented Ran Carthon as a bona fide NFL general manager.
While announcing Callahan’s hire, Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk revealed that she had promoted Carthon to executive vice president and given him control of all football-related matters: The roster, the draft, free agency, the coaching staff. All of it. Callahan will coach under Carthon.
Something that would be standard for most pro sports organizations felt like a watershed moment for the Titans and Adams Strunk, who spent all of 2023 declining to say publicly who had the final say about the team’s roster. Though she hired Carthon a year ago, she didn’t truly allow him the authority to do the job until now. And (gasp) she told everyone about the decision, too!
The Titans have had a rough time of it lately, but it has been encouraging to see them getting their house in order.
A solid coaching hire is made. (Callahan will be introduced formally on Thursday). A true GM is in place. Some transparency, too, about the inner workings of the team and Adams Strunk’s vision to modernize the Titans to where they’ll no longer scoff about things like charts and numbers and analytics as tools to help win.
“This is not my father’s NFL,” she said in Wednesday’s statement. “As our league continues to evolve in areas like analytics, sports science, and technology, football organizations have become more complex and multifaceted. I want our football operation to be at the forefront of the NFL as teams continue to find new competitive advantages.”
As for Carthon, Adams Strunk cited his “innovative approach to roster building” and “exceptional reputation around the league as a talent evaluator and culture builder” as reasons to hand him the same set of keys that Jon Robinson once held.
The Titans are finally giving Carthon an honest chance, and the rest of us should, too.
Truth is, we’ve little idea what to expect from him as the Titans’ GM.
We haven’t seen him do it yet.
Has any GM one year into a job been more of a mystery? Carthon spent the past year mostly in the background. In the rare instances in which he has spoken publicly, he has gone out of his way not to reveal much. We don’t know what he wants for the Titans — because he hasn’t told us.
He spoke initially of former coach Mike Vrabel’s preference as his own. Then after Vrabel’s firing, he deferred in the same way to Adams Strunk, declining to offer specifics about her vision or his own as the team’s GM.
Carthon’s obfuscation in media settings has been maddening, and I hope it improves for his sake. It has often come across as a GM who is in over his head, and I don’t believe that’s the case.
Adams Strunk has confidence in Carthon to do this job, or else she wouldn’t be giving it to him.
But you can’t blame anyone for being skeptical of her effusive praise for Carthon when she wouldn’t let him be the Titans’ true GM until now.
Estes: Whatever may come of Brian Callahan, he’s who Tennessee Titans truly wanted
The failure of this past season, more than any other shortcoming, was that no one could say who was really in charge. A tumultuous 2023 reflected poorly on both Vrabel and Carthon, but really, it was on Adams Strunk to fix her ill-fated attempt to blend old and new. In trying to placate both Vrabel and Carthon, she accomplished neither, and the franchise suffered for it.
Hindsight shows how difficult the circumstances have been thus far in Tennessee for Carthon. He had to figure out how to work alongside Vrabel after Adams Strunk went against her coach’s recommendation in hiring Carthon over Ryan Cowden, which multiple sources cited as a turning point in the relationship between the Titans’ former coach and owner.
Go Deeper: Why was Mike Vrabel fired? How the Tennessee Titans got to this point | Estes
And then after she fired Vrabel on Jan. 9, Adams Strunk’s refusal to field questions from independent media meant that Carthon was forced to muddle alone through an unsatisfactory news conference in which he was far more fixated on what he couldn’t say than what he could.
It was a shaky performance at an unfortunate time, inspiring zero confidence in the Titans’ direction and leadership on a pivotal day in their history.
For Carthon, yes, it was a tough spot. But it won’t be the last time. It was the type of thing that NFL general managers must confront, and there will be no more defending Carthon because of a lack of experience.
The training wheels are gone. He’s in charge now. He’s got the owner’s public backing. He’s got the coach he wanted in Callahan. He’ll have the optimism and fresh approach that a solid coaching hire will bring to a building that needs those things.
He’s got top deputy Chad Brinker settling into a nice promotion. He’s got a high first-round draft pick. He’s got a ton of salary-cap space.
And he’s got a Titans roster that’ll need a lot of help between now and the next game.
For a while, I’ve been told all these wonderful things about Ran Carthon, and I haven’t yet gotten to meet that person. I’m eager to get to know him and see what he can do for the Titans.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.
One of the nation’s fast-rising 7v7 events made it back to the Atlanta area as The Sevens 7v7 tournament was held at Peachtree Ridge High School over the weekend.
Many of the top organizations across the country registered and entered the tournament such as Hustle INC, C1N, NPA, 24K Cold Hearts, and Fast Houston.
The amount of star power each brand displayed with many of the top athletes from all of the country was insane to fathom.
One of the nation’s coveted 2028 cornerbacks was in attendance as Jermaine Cobbins and NPA showed up on a mission.
NPA earned the number 1 seed during pool play on the first day of the event. The team fell just short of the championship game, but the players went down swinging.
Vols on SI caught up with Cobbins to discuss any recruiting updates, and to shed light on an off-field story that deserves some attention.
Jermaine Cobbins Update
“The recruitment is going great,” Cobbins said.
“You know, a lot of teams are showing love,” Cobbins continued. Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M were a few schools mentioned to be showing a lot of love to the Tennessee native.
Cobbins has plans to get on the road once dead period is over.
March 2- Auburn
March 6- USC (potentially)
March 13- Alabama
March 17- Georgia
March 19- Tennessee
March 21- Vanderbilt
As Cobbins is wrapping up his sophomore year and on his way to becoming a junior, the pace will pick up as schools will come on stronger as some will fall back. The talented defender has to check boxes of his on while spending time with each school.
“The main thing I’ll be looking for is probably how much love are they going to be showing, their background (track record), and how the coaches coach,” Cobbins explained.
With a visit to Rocky Top in a few weeks looming, this will be the first time Cobbins has made it to Tennessee since the staff changes on the defense.
Cobbins had a relationship with Coach Michael Hunter Jr., who joined the Volunteers staff for a very short time before taking an opportunity in the NFL.
“Me and the corners coach had a great relationship, he came (to UT) but he left out for the NFL, so kudos to him. Love that for him. I’ve met Coach Poindexter. He’s a great coach,” Cobbins said.
The coaching staff at Tennessee stands out to the Springfield (TN) student-athlete as, “they coach at a high level.” Cobbins would go on to describe how the Vols pulling in great talent truly has an impact because you get to practice against some talented players day in and day out.
Cobbins Gives Back
Cobbins recently had the opportunity to give back to the next generation, and it was no surprise to see this act carried out, so Vols on SI had to ask about this act of kindness before concluding the interview.
“That was very important (to me), you know. It just really made me feel good inside. I always love giving back to the little kids, especially from my hometown,” Cobbins said with a smile.
Cobbins understands the small-town life, and how such a simple gesture can make a huge difference. Talent aside, this is an A+ young man.
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Published on Mar. 4, 2026
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Vanderbilt basketball guard Frankie Collins is leaving the program, head coach Mark Byington announced on Tuesday night. The news comes just days before the Commodores are set to face off against Tennessee in the regular season finale, with the Volunteers looking to clinch a top-four seed and double-bye in the SEC Tournament.
Why it matters
Collins was Vanderbilt’s most highly touted transfer last offseason, but injuries limited him to just nine games this season. His departure leaves the Commodores shorthanded heading into a crucial matchup against their in-state rival Tennessee, who are seeking to complete a regular season sweep.
The details
The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 7.8 points, 4.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game this season, but suffered a meniscus injury in December that sidelined him for the majority of the year. With the emergence of sophomore point guard Tyler Tanner and Oklahoma transfer Duke Miles, Collins never quite found his footing in the Vanderbilt lineup.
- Frankie Collins left the Vanderbilt program on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.
- Vanderbilt is scheduled to face Tennessee on Saturday, March 8, 2026.
The players
Frankie Collins
A 6-foot-1 guard who was Vanderbilt’s most highly touted transfer last offseason, coming to Nashville after spending the 2024-25 season at TCU and the three prior years at Arizona State and Michigan.
Mark Byington
The head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores basketball team.
Tyler Tanner
The sophomore point guard who emerged as a key player for Vanderbilt this season.
Duke Miles
An Oklahoma transfer shooting guard who joined the Vanderbilt roster this season.
Rick Barnes
The head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team.
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What they’re saying
“Frankie has left Nashville, and he’s not gonna be on the team. It’s gonna be good for both sides of it. We wish him well. So we’ll roll with the guys we got.”
— Mark Byington, Head Coach, Vanderbilt Commodores (rockytopinsider.com)
What’s next
With a victory over Vanderbilt, Tennessee will clinch a top four-seed and a double-bye in next week’s SEC Tournament. Vanderbilt could potentially earn a double-bye themselves with a win and a little extra help.
The takeaway
The loss of Frankie Collins leaves Vanderbilt shorthanded heading into a crucial matchup against in-state rival Tennessee, who are seeking to complete a regular season sweep. The Commodores will have to rely on the emergence of players like Tyler Tanner and Duke Miles to try and pull off the upset and keep their own postseason hopes alive.
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.
Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›
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.
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