Tennessee well represented on Preseason Coaches All-SEC Teams

Tennessee football boasted six players on the Preseason All-Southeastern Conference Teams that were announced on Tuesday afternoon. The 16 head coaches around the league voted on the three teams.

Jermod McCoy was Tennessee’s lone first-team recipient while five other Vols were named to the third-team, a list that incudes wide receiver Chris Brazzell, offensive lineman Lance Heard, tight end Miles Kitselman, linebacker Arion Carter and defensive back Boo Carter.

McCoy and both Arion and Boo Carter were also named Preseason All-SEC by the media back in July.

The cornerback, McCoy, is coming off a breakout season in his first year at Tennessee, finishing with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions last season. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.

McCoy is the biggest piece in a Tennessee defense that finished No. 7 nationally and No. 2 in the SEC in scoring defense last season, carrying the Vols to the 12-team College Football Playoff in December. McCoy, who is continuing to work his way back after tearing his ACL during offseason workouts in January, is widely projected to be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, as one of the top defensive backs, if not the top corner, available.

Boo Carter, a former four-star from Bradley Central High School who has missed some time in fall camp due to disciplinary measures, took over the nickelback position in a starting capacity midway through the season but received plenty of playing time all year long. The true freshman totaled 35 tackles with one interception and one sack in 12 regular season games and was named the SEC Freshman of the Week following the Florida victory when he picked off a pass in the second half.

The athlete played a total of 387 snaps in the regular season with career-high 45 snaps against Alabama on the Third Saturday in October. Carter also excelled as a punt returner when placed in the position midway through the conference slate, averaging 16.5 yards on 12 returns.

Arion Carter was Tennessee’s leading tackler a season ago finishing with 68 tackles including 6.5 for loss, an interception, 6 PBU’s and 3 quarterback hurries.

The linebacker has been one of the Vols most vocal leaders and one of the most dedicated workers over the last two seasons in Knoxville. The in-state native has transitioned well from high school running back to linebacker.

Brazzell is easily the most experienced returner for the Vols at wide receiver with 333 yards and two touchdowns off 29 receptions last year. He was one of the star transfer portal acquisitions prior to last season, hauling in five touchdowns on 44 catches for 711 yards as a redshirt-freshman for Tulane in 2023. He made a spectacular touchdown catch against Alabama in the second half last season and came up big on a few third down conversions at Vanderbilt in a win that punched Tennessee’s ticket to the College Football Playoff.

Heard, who played the majority of the 2024 season (his first with the Vols) injured following a July 2024 procedure, is healthy and down about 30 pounds entering the new year. He will be a pillar of this new-look offensive line and needs to play up to his transfer portal ranking and former five-star status. Heard ended up playing and starting in 11 games a season ago, logging 753 snaps.

Kitselman returns as the leader of the offense after playing a carer-high 599 snaps with the Vols in 2024. The tight end ranked second on the team with four touchdowns (added on rushing touchdown as well) and finished the year with 301 yards on 22 receptions. Kitselman has been limited some in preseason camp recovering from spring surgery, but should be good to go opening week.   

Tennessee, who was preseason picked ninth in the SEC by the media, opens against Syracuse on August 30 (Noon Eastern Time, ABC) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.