Tennessee

Ernest Jones, ‘shocked’ by Rams trade, may be Tennessee Titans final piece in defense’s rebuild

Published

2 years ago

August 28, 2024

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.

ROSTER ANALYSIS: Winners, losers from Tennessee Titans depth chart, first 53-man roster reveal

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.”

MORE TRADE THOUGHTS: What Malik Willis trade means for Tennessee Titans and quarterback picture

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.”

ESTES: Tennessee Titans winning Super Bowl? It’s as likely as AJ Swann winning Heisman

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.

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TN Lottery Cash 3 Evening, Cash 4 Evening winning numbers for March 8, 2026

Published

34 minutes ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Cash 3 numbers from March 8 drawing

Evening: 1-8-7, Wild: 8

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from March 8 drawing

Evening: 1-0-9-7, Wild: 7

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from March 8 drawing

10-19-30-33-35

Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing

01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.

For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:

Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.

When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Cash4Life: 9:15 p.m. CT daily.
Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell Among Top Projected Fantasy Football Options in 2026 NFL Draft | Rocky Top Insider

Published

13 hours ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee WR Chris Brazzell Among Top Projected Fantasy Football Options in 2026 NFL Draft | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee SEC Football — Photo via Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee football is set to send a handful of players from its 2025 roster to the NFL during this upcoming draft. However, one stands out as a potential breakout star for fantasy football players.

Wide receiver Chris Brazzell proved to be one of the top pass catchers in the SEC this past season, leading the conference in yards per game. Now, he’s widely projected as a second-round pick with the potential to even climb into the first round after a strong combine showing.

With the combine in the books and the draft coming up next month, ESPN ranked incoming rookies on their projected fantasy football output. He clocked in at No. 13 and the seventh-highest ranked receiver.

“Brazzell is a tall, perimeter receiver with a big wingspan who will do most of his damage down field (career 14.2 aDOT at Tennessee) and doesn’t offer much after the catch (class-worst 3.6 RAC),” ESPN’s Mike Clay wrote. “He has good speed (4.37 40-yard dash) and may settle in as a boom/bust low-volume, splash-play fantasy option.”

More From RTI: Three Tennessee Football Players Mocked in the First Two Rounds of NFL Draft by ESPN

Brazzell wrapped up his second season with Tennessee in 2025. In 12 games, he produced 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns on 62 receptions. He proved to be an elite deep-ball threat with Joey Aguilar at quarterback and Josh Heupel retooling the offensive scheme.

His best game came against Georgia at home. Brazzell recorded six receptions for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the game. He went over the 100-yard mark four times and over 90 yards five times.

Prior to that, Brazzell played two seasons at Tulane before transferring to join the Vols for their 2024 College Football Playoff campaign.

The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled to begin on April 23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If Brazzell does fall outside the first round, he’d likely go the following day when rounds two and three are held. The remaining four rounds are the next day.

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Tennessee State beats Morehead State 93-67, wins first OVC Tournament title since ’94

Published

1 day ago

March 8, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee State beats Morehead State 93-67, wins first OVC Tournament title since ’94

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Antoine Lorick III scored 18 points, and top-seeded Tennessee State beat No. 2 seed Morehead State 93-67 on Saturday night for the Tigers’ first win in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game since 1994.

Travis Harper II made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for Tennessee State (23-9), which shot 16 of 26 from long range. Dante Harris and Carlous Williams added 16 points apiece. Aaron Nkrumah chipped in with 14 points and six assists. Harris grabbed 11 of the Tigers’ 44 rebounds.

George Marshall scored 17 points and shot 4 of 9 from beyond the arc to lead Morehead State (20-13). Anouar Mellouk and Davion Cunningham added 12 points each.

The Tigers scored a Division-I program-record 55 points in the first half for a 21-point lead. Harris scored 16 points and shot 4 of 7 from deep. Harper added 15 points on five 3s. Marshall scored 12 first-half points for Morehead State.

TSU entered having won a program-best 15 conference games. The Tigers won back-to-back tournament titles in 1993 and 1994.

The teams split the regular-season series, each winning at home. Tennessee State won the first meeting 105-100 in overtime. Morehead State won the second 94-86.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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