Tennessee

Titans Ideal First Two NFL Draft Picks

Published

9 months ago

April 5, 2025

Chad Reuter of NFL.com published a breakdown with his takes on each team’s ideal first two NFL Draft selections, including the No. 1 and No. 35 picks the Tennessee Titans hold.

Reuter’s two hypothetical Tennessee selections are listed below, and On SI put together some analysis of each projection.

Dec 28, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward (1) scrambles with the ball against the Iowa State Cyclones during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

If Tennessee picked Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter, it would be landing a potential future All-Pro, but it would be upgrading one defensive position by doing so while continuing to have a major quarterback issue. As you know, it’s the most challenging roster weakness to repair and sustain thereafter.

In this hypothetical that, frankly, seems like a given at this point, although the Titans can’t be certain to get the major needle-mover an organization expects of a No. 1 overall selection, they have the opportunity, and the decision-makers simply have to give the quarterback position its best chance to succeed in 2025 and beyond.

“This was the best Pro Day performance I’ve seen in person, and it might not even be close,” CBS Sports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Ward said, previously attending Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and other quarterbacks Pro Day events.

He can get a little too free with the ball, both in throwing into dangerous areas and while carrying the football, but the upside here is boundless if Ward’s young career stays on the tracks.

Sep 17, 2022; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau (44) celebrates a tackle during the first half of the NCAA Division I football game against the Toledo Rockets at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch

Ncaa Football Toledo Rockets At Ohio State Buckeyes / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Before the perception shifted to the Titans likely selecting Ward at the top of the draft, many argued that Carter should, and likely would be going No. 1 to Tennessee. There was no shortage of pertinent angles to that argument.

Here are a few: The Titans defense finished second to last in pass defense last season. Only three teams recorded less sacks than Tennessee. Harold Landry is now a New England Patriot.

Well, Carter is long gone by the time the second round rolls around in Reuter’s projection, but Tennessee snags a fantastic talent in national champion Buckeye JT Tuimlolau. At 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, the Washington native clocked a solid 4.62 at the combine, and his production in 2024 was excellent.

61 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 12 ½ sacks along with three pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles. And a bunch of those sacks came versus some of Ohio State’s toughest opponents in contests when the pressure was at its peak – the College Football Playoff.

Tuimoloau notched two sacks versus Tennessee, two against Oregon, one-and-a-half versus Texas, and one in the title game versus Notre Dame. We can be fairly sure his consistent backfield terror would continue in Tennessee.

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

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Tennessee

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee sheriff’s office is asking the community to pray for a family whose 5-year-old was hospitalized after falling into a swimming pool.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and family members were “administering life-saving measures” Thursday afternoon after pulling the child out of the water.

The child was then transferred to a hospital, where they are still being treated.

“The child was subsequently transported to the hospital, where they are currently receiving medical care‚” said a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details will be released at this time.”

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Tennessee

Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee

Published

14 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Why first quarter was ‘crucial’ in Mississippi State’s loss to Tennessee

Sam Purcell felt good about the game plan for Mississippi State women’s basketball’s matchup with Tennessee.

But the Bulldogs gave up 26 points in the first quarter and trailed by seven points. It was a deficit they never recovered from in a 90-80 loss to the Lady Vols at Humphrey Coliseum on Jan. 8.

“You look at that that first quarter, I thought it was crucial. We had a great scout, a great game plan, but we didn’t talk on ball screens,” Purcell said. “Their largest quarter was that first quarter, and we’re going to watch back and go, dang it, we need to be more vocal. And you got to give them credit – top to bottom, they’re probably as good as anybody in the country with athleticism. So you can’t let those athletic kids turn the corner for wide open layups, and we did.”

Kharyssa Richardson and Madison Francis led the Bulldogs with 22 points each, but MSU didn’t have enough defense to pull off the upset.

Had Mississippi State been able to slow down Tennessee’s drivers in the first quarter, it may have been a different result. But once the Bulldogs started slowing that down, the Lady Vols were “phenomenal hitting some big-time shots,” Purcell said.

Tennessee only had the edge in points in the paint, 42-40, but it also went 10-for-27 on 3-pointers, which was an area Mississippi State couldn’t match. The Bulldogs shot 2-for-13 from deep.

MSU also couldn’t stop Tennessee freshman point guard Mia Pauldo, who scored a game-high 26 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Bulldogs sent her to the foul line time and time again, and she went 8-for-9 on free throws.

“I thought (Pauldo) was poised, she was clutch,” Purcell said. “Obviously, that’s what you need in games like this that are gonna come down the to the wire. You need players to step up, and I thought she was the X factor for them.”

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Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the main teams when it comes to producing talent and sending talent to the NFL, which is something that has often been discovered as a standard for the football program. This is something that has been going on for quite some time and isn’t anything new to the news cycle, as the Vols have been able to produce plenty of talented prospects.

Tennessee is the home of many stars, including some of the best defensive players in SEC history. Guys like Eric Berry have found their way through the Tennessee program and onto the NFL, where they would have legendary careers. However, the defensive side of the football is the only side that has produced plenty of talent, as Tennessee has produced a lot of offensive talent as well. With the likes of Peyton Manning and company, the Vols have shown a great track record in getting talent drafted.

The Vols have produced someone who could be considered as one of the best players to play the Tide end position, as the Knoxville, Tennessee program is the home to Dallas Cowboys legend, Jason Witten. Witten is someone who made the most of his career and has been viewed as a top player at the Tide in position, and someone who is often referred to as a legend for the Cowboys, along with being a legend in the game of football as a whole.

Jason Witten Accepts TE Coach Position For Oklahoma

Oct 10, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) on the phone in the bench area in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Cowboys Stadium. The Titans beat the Cowboys 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Witten is now taking a new gig, which has him in a huge role inside the Southeastern Conference. The Vols legend is now the tight end coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have had some success out of their tight ends in the past, but the sky is the limit with a guy like Witten coaching up the players. Witten has the opportunity to do really well, as coaching tight ends won’t be an issue, and you have to imagine that he will be able to recruit very well, considering he has a huge name around him, as this is something that we have seen from positional coaches as well as head coaches who have done great work in the league. You have to imagine that the Vols will now have stiff competition for his son, Cooper, who is a five-star recruit for the upcoming 2027 class at the linebacker position.