The Volunteers Dylan Sampson and Jermod McCoy were both named to the ESPN All-American second team. 

After stellar seasons Dylan Sampson and Jermod McCoy were both selected to the second team of ESPN’s All-American team. Sampson led the rushing attack for the Volunteers and led the Southeastern Conference in carries, yards and touchdowns on the ground. McCoy was a vital piece of the volunteer defense and had a stellar sophomore season. 

Sampson was an electric back for the Volunteers in 2024. The 5-foot-11 201-pound back mixed size and speed with elite vision to explode through running lanes and punish second level defenders. He finished the season with 258 carries for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns.

With Sampson’s help, the Volunteers led the SEC in rushing yards for the second season in a row. Sampson was the true definition of a workhorse, leading all SEC players in plays from scrimmage with 278. 

Being named to the ESPN All-American team is another award Sampson can add to his resume as he takes his talents to the NFL. Last month Sampson announced he would be forgoing his senior year and entering his name into the NFL draft. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. rated Sampson as the No. 10 running back prospect eligible for the 2025 draft. 

After a solid freshman season at Oregon State, during which McCoy racked up 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups, the young corner decided to enter the transfer portal. Tennessee earned the four-star transfer commitment, and McCoy made an immediate impact for the Volunteers. The 6-foot 193-pound corner had 44 tackles, four interceptions, and nine pass breakups. Unfortunately, Tennessee will be without McCoy for spring practices after the young corner tore his ACL during an off-season workout. 

McCoy helped lead one of the top defenses in the country in just his sophomore season. The Volunteers only allowed 293 yards per game which was second in the SEC. 

Tennessee has consistently had some of the top talent in the nation and this year was no different with Sampson and McCoy both having outstanding seasons and being named to the ESPN All-American second team. 

Make sure to follow our website Tennessee on SI.

The Tennessee Titans were blessed by the football gods with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Many believe that they will look to fix their quarterback problem with that pick.

Right now, there are two expected options that the Titans will choose from. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are the only two players receiving the vast majority of the projections fro the team with the top pick.

Ward has gained a slight edge over Sanders in the minds of many. A lot can change, but Ward is trending very well to be the No. 1 pick at this point in time.

That being said, a concerning comparison has been made for Ward that could make Tennessee think twice.

Bleacher Report has dropped a comparison for Ward to Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. That clearly is not the best comparison that a potential No. 1 pick could be given.

Obviously, Smith has ended up having a solid NFL career. However, he has been far from a star and if Ward developed like Smith did, it would be another potential setback for the Titans and definitely not worth the No. 1 overall pick.

While it’s a bit of a concerning comparison, Ward put up huge production on the field for the Miami Hurricanes in 2024. He has earned the hype that he has been receiving as an option for Tennessee.

During the 2024 season with Miami, Ward ended up completing 67.2 percent of his pass attempts for 4,313 yards, 39 touchdowns, and seven interceptoins. He also picked up 204 yards and four more touchdowns on the ground.

Throughout his entire college career, his numbers look even more impressive.

He has finished with 18,187 passing yards, 158 touchdowns, and just 37 interceptions. He also completed 67.2 percent of his passes. In addition to his passing numbers, he had 469 yards and 20 touchdowns with his legs.

That kind of production speaks volumes. Ward was a dynamic quarterback in college and if those skills transfer to the NFL, he would be exactly the quarterback fix that the Titans desperately need.

Hopefully, Tennessee gets this decision right. They have been in quarterback purgatory over the last few years and have to find a franchise quarterback that can lead them back to contention.

Make sure you bookmark Tennessee Titans on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

No. 6 Tennessee now has back-to-back wins under its belt after a 74-56 win over No. 23 Georgia Wednesday night in Knoxville.

The Vols trailed the Bulldogs by one point heading into the halftime break but turned up the heat in the final 20 minutes. Tennessee erupted on a 20-4 run to start the second half of play and kept Georgia far away from striking distance through the final buzzer.

Jordan Gainey put up a sneaky 19 points on Wednesday to lead all scorers but Zakai Zeigler wasn’t far behind with 16 points of his own, much of which came in the second half. Special recognition goes to Tennessee guard Jahmai Mashack, who punished a Georgia defense that left him open with 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the floor.

After the game, RTI’s Ric Butler and Ryan Schumpert broke down their thoughts on Tennessee’s rivalry win in the RTI: Reaction show from the arena floor.

More from RTI: Three Quick Takeaways As Dominant Second Half Propels Tennessee Past Georgia

Check it out below:

RTI: Reaction