Running back DeSean Bishop signs deal to return to Tennessee in 2026

One of Tennessee‘s top playmakers has reportedly signed a deal to return to the Volunteers in 2026, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Running back DeSean Bishop will give it another go next fall.

He’s coming off a tremendous second season with the Volunteers. In 2025, Bishop notched 1,076 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns, to go along with 15 catches for 135 yards.

As a result of his efforts in 2025, Bishop was named to the All-SEC second team by the league’s coaches. He was also named a Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist.

His sophomore season outing was a huge step up from his redshirt freshman season, which was plenty productive in its own right. In 2024, Bishop logged 74 carries for 455 yards and three touchdowns.

Two things really stood out about the most recent campaign, though. One, Bishop maintained his high yards-per-carry clip despite taking on a much higher workload. He has now averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his career. Second, he took on increased work in the passing game, something that will help round out his profile as a pro prospect.

Tennessee, with a new deal in place for Bishop, figures to be in good shape offensively. That’s been a staple for coach Josh Heupel, and now the Volunteers have one of their top weapons back.

Prior to enrolling at Tennessee, Bishop was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 1,322 overall prospect in the nation in the 2023 class, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 92 running back in the class and the No. 38 overall player in the state of Tennessee, hailing from Knoxville (TN) Karns.

In high school, Bishop racked up 8,347 rushing yards and 102 rushing touchdowns over the course of his high school career, ranking second and third all-time in Tennessee high school football history, respectively, according to the TSSAA online record book. He was a back-to-back Tennessee Titans 5A Mr. Football award winner in his junior and senior seasons.