Tennessee
Tennessee football: 3 burning questions as Vols’ preseason winds down
Preseason practice offers a glimpse at depth chart strengths and weaknesses. We’re left with some questions.
One player we’re not questioning: Nico Iamaleava. The buzz around Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback is reminiscent of the hype surrounding Peyton Manning, Heath Shuler and Condredge Holloway. Iamaleava is worthy of that hype.
Some other positions are on squishier footing.
On this edition of “The Volunteer State,” Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel’s Adam Sparks and John Adams discuss three burning questions that remain unanswered as preseason practice winds down and the Week 1 game against Chattanooga nears.
Is Tennessee football’s Cam Seldon healthy and ready?
Tennessee’s running back depth remains an area of concern. Dylan Sampson is dependable atop the depth chart, but the situation gets murkier after that. The Vols will be better position after Cam Seldon returns from a shoulder injury.
When will that be?
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Seldon wore a non-contact jersey during practice periods that were open to reporters in the preseason, but coach Josh Heupel recently said that Seldon is “full go.”
Whether “full go” means Seldon will play against Chattanooga is unclear. More important will be having him healthy against NC State in Week 2. A shoulder injury is no small deal for a running back.
Will Bru McCoy return to form?
McCoy suffered a serious ankle injury last season that cut his season short after five games. Watching him in practice this month, you wouldn’t know he was ever injured. He’s returned to form and will be part of the first-tier wide receiver rotation that includes Squirrel White and transfer Chris Brazzell II.
As to who will lead Tennessee in receptions, that’s another question. White is the smart choice. The ball comes to the slot receiver a lot in Heupel’s offense. White led the offense in receptions last season, and he’ll probably do it again. But a healthy McCoy makes the offense much more dynamic.
Will Boo Carter start the opener? And will Vols really start walk-on safety Will Brooks?
Let’s take Carter first: The four-star true freshman is talented enough to start as Tennessee’s nickelback, but defensive coordinator Tim Banks usually favors older players. Against Chattanooga, Carter must prove he’s ready for a big role.
Walk-ons tend to generate preseason buzz before falling behind scholarship players once the season arrives. Brooks isn’t fading, though. Expect him to earn snaps at safety.
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Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s SEC Columnist and a published author. John Adams is the News Sentinel’s senior columnist and a two-time published author. Adam Sparks covers the Vols with award-winning coverage for the News Sentinel. You can subscribe to read all their coverage, or check out the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
Tennessee
Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.
During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.
From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.
Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.
“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.
The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.
“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.
For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.
“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.
What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
– Carrie Sharp
Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.
The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.
Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss live updates
What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss on today?
- TV channel: SEC Network+
- Live stream: ESPN app
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss game times
- Game 3: April 19 (1 p.m. ET)
Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss probable pitchers
- Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
- Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Tennessee Volunteers baseball team dropped game two to Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, 8-1. The Rebels clinch the series, the first time Ole Miss has won a series in Knoxville since 2016.
A bright spot for the Vols was Tegan Kuhns who threw 5.2 innings not allowing a run, striking out 10 batters on five hits.
Cam Appenzeller picked up his first loss of the season coming in out of the bullpen for Kuhns. The SEC Freshman of the Week did not have a great outing. Appenzeller went 2.1 innings giving up six earned runs.
Tennessee escaped a shutout as Trent Grindlinger hit a solo home run in the ninth inning. Grindlinger’s home run was one of Tennessee’s two hits on the night.
The Volunteers look to avoid the series sweep as theY round out the series with Ole Miss on Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. on the SEC Network+.
Copyright 2026 WVLT. All rights reserved.
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