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As new college sports landscape takes shape, here’s why commitment flips are more common
Tennessee
Former Tennessee football DL Omarr Norman-Lott used to have a fitting job
Omarr Norman-Lott’s job title is NFL football player.
The former Tennessee football defensive lineman can now say that after being picked by the Chiefs in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Before his professional football career, or even his time with the Vols, Norman-Lott had a different job, though.
Fittingly, at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, he was a bouncer.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
When Norman-Lott was asked about this experience in his post-draft interview, he instantly started smiling and laughing. He recognized how much he enjoyed the job, but also said it wasn’t something that could last.
“That was a good experience, man, early in college,” Norman-Lott said. “It wasn’t a lifestyle that was conducive to me making it to where I am today, so I had to make a change.”
Ultimately, Norman-Lott said it taught him life lessons. The first is how he handles high-tension situations.
In the heat of competition in the SEC and now NFL, this can certainly come in handy.
“That experience within itself was amazing,” Norman-Lott said. “It taught me a lot in how to handle situations and deescalate first in all situations and stuff like that.”
Norman-Lott wasn’t a bouncer in Knoxville. Instead, he held the job while he was at Arizona State. He spent 2020-22 with the Sun Devils before transferring to Tennessee.
During that time, despite his teams going 2-2, 8-5 and 3-9, he played with some serious talent. This included Jayden Daniels who went on to win the Heisman Trophy at LSU and become a star in the NFL.
The pair were teammates in Norman-Lott’s first two seasons at Arizona State.
He also played with Johnny Wilson during those first two years. Wilson, a defensive back, transferred to Flordia State to round out his career and is a Super Bowl champion with the Eagles.
“That era in time was amazing,” Norman-Lott said. “That was the time where I played with Jayden Daniels, Johnny Wilson, we had a bunch of boys and stuff like that there.”
The Dallas-area’s most up-and-down recruiting saga from the Class of 2026 has its latest twist.
North Forney four-star athlete Legend Bey has requested his letter of release from Tennessee, according to reporting from Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman.
“They are waiting for Tennessee to confirm this,” Spiegelman said of the request Sunday on The Inside Scoop podcast. “This could come as early as today, tomorrow. This is in the works.”
Bey signed with Tennessee on early national signing day, flipping from his November 10 commitment to Ohio State on early national signing day. He had originally committed to the Volunteers in June. However, reports emerged soon after his signing that Bey wanted to sign with the Buckeyes but landed at Tennessee because of pressure from his family.
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The possibility that Bey might seek a release was first reported Dec. 4, with reports suggesting that Tennessee would grant the request given the tumultuous recruiting process.
If the release is granted, Bey may have to wait to turn 18 years old before he can sign for Ohio State without parental approval.
Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville (9-1, 0-0 ACC) is set to face Tennessee (7-3, 0-0 SEC) on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 7:00 p.m. EST at Thompson-Boling Arena. Here’s how the Cardinals stack up against the Volunteers:
*Mobile users can scroll left and right on the tables below*
Rankings
|
Tennessee |
Louisville |
|
|---|---|---|
|
AP/USAT |
20th/20th |
11th/11th |
|
SOS |
38th |
89th |
|
SOR |
47th |
13th |
|
NET |
36th |
11th |
|
RPI |
50th |
41st |
|
BPI |
18th |
6th |
|
KenPom |
18th |
10th |
|
Torvik |
18th |
10th |
|
EvanMiya |
20th |
12th |
Team Leaders
|
Tennessee |
Louisville |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Points |
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (17.3) |
Ryan Conwell (19.4) |
|
Rebounds |
Nate Ament (7.1) |
Sananda Fru (6.2) |
|
Assists |
Ja’Kobi Gillespie (5.4) |
Mikel Brown Jr. (5.1) |
|
Steals |
Bishop Boswell (1.9) |
Kobe Rodgers (1.3) |
|
Blocks |
Felix Okpara (1.7) |
Sananda Fru (1.2) |
Scoring
|
Tennessee |
Louisville |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Points Per Game |
80.9 |
94.3 |
|
Field Goal % |
46.8 |
47.9 |
|
FGM/FGA Per Game |
28.9/61.7 |
30.4/63.5 |
|
Three Point % |
34.6 |
37.5 |
|
3PTM/3PTA |
7.4/21.4 |
13.2/35.2 |
|
Free Throw % |
72.7 |
77.8 |
|
FTM/FTA Per Game |
15.7/21.6 |
20.3/26.1 |
Rebounding
|
Tennessee |
Louisville |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Rebounds Per Game |
43.3 |
42.6 |
|
Off. Reb. Per Game |
15.6 |
12.7 |
|
Def. Reb. Per Game |
27.7 |
29.9 |
|
Rebound Margin |
12.9 |
8.0 |
Defense
|
Tennessee |
Louisville |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Opp. Points Per Game |
66.0 |
68.1 |
|
Opp. FG% |
38.5 |
37.8 |
|
Opp. 3PT% |
29.7 |
29.6 |
|
Steals Per Game |
7.5 |
8.1 |
|
Blocks Per Game |
3.7 |
3.8 |
|
Turnovers Forced Per Game |
12.4 |
13.9 |
Ball Handling
|
Tennessee |
Louisville |
|
|---|---|---|
|
Assists Per Game |
18.8 |
19.7 |
|
Turnovers Per Game |
13.2 |
10.9 |
|
Turnover Margin |
0.8 |
3.0 |
|
Assist/Turnover Ratio |
1.42 |
1.81 |
Predictions
– ESPN Prediction: Per ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, the Cardinals have a 57.8 percent chance to win against the Volunteers. Louisville has a BPI rating of 22.0 (6th overall), whereas Tennessee has a BPI rating of 16.9 (18th overall).
– KenPom Prediction: Per KenPom.com, the Cardinals have a 49 percent chance to take down the Volunteers, with a projected final score of 80-79 in favor of UT. Louisville has an adjusted efficiency margin of +27.72 (10th overall), whereas Tennessee has an adjusted efficiency margin of +23.10 (18th overall).
– Torvik Prediction: Per BartTorvik.com, the Cards have a 43 percent chance to take down the Vols, with a projected final score of 80-78 in favor of UT. Louisville has a “Barthag” of .9451 (10th overall), whereas Tennessee has a “Barthag” of .9253 (18th overall).
– Personal Prediction: Louisville 83, Tennessee 82.
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(Photo of Kasean Pryor: Jamie Rhodes – Imagn Images)
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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!
– – –
The RTI Low-Down is brought to you by the Tate Insurance Group. Find out more information at www.tateinsurancegroup.com
– – –
More from RTI: Tennessee Football 2025 Transfer Tracker – Who has Announced They’re Entering the Portal So Far
– – –
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
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