Tennessee might have just spilled the beans on team's leadership core for 2026 season
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The Vols enter 2026 will plenty of new faces after a busy transfer portal season, but the face of the program will have some familiar names.
The college football season isn’t all that far away now, as we’re most of the way through the way-too-long offseason. Technically we have college football next month, which is a nice thing to say.
The start of conference media days is another good sign of football being close to returning, and the SEC Media Days is coming up later this month in Tampa.
Tennessee has named its player representatives who will be attending, and it might be a bit telling as far as the leadership for the program in the 2026 season.
Running back DeSean Bishop will be in attendance with Josh Heupel, as will veteran linebackers Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander.
RB DeSean Bishop and LBs Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander will be Tennessee’s player representatives at 2026 SEC Media Days
Tennessee is one of seven teams who won’t be sending a quarterback as a player representative to the event. But that’s to be expected, given the neck-and-neck quarterback battle currently unfolding between underclassmen George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon.
Bishop certainly makes sense. The Vols’ 2025 rushing leader should once again lead Tennessee’s backfield and should be a major presence on the offensive side of the ball.
Carter also makes sense, as should be primed for a starting spot this fall in Jim Knowles’ new defense after serving as a stalwart in the middle of the Vols’ defense the previous two seasons.
Telander is a bit more interesting, as his position as a significant contributor seemed somewhat more tenuous this offseason. Penn State transfer Amare Campbell seems poised to play a key role this fall, and Edwin Spillman, who passed on the portal in January, has been one of Tennessee’s best young defenders.
However, it’s certainly a good sign for his place as a contributor to be included among the contingent going to Tampa. Telander was also front and center in the school’s video featuring Peyton Manning that announced the new Adidas agreement.
Telander also “impressed quite a few people on the defensive staff” during the spring, according to Tennessee insider Austin Price of VolQuest, who said “he’s defintely not taking a back seat” to anyone on the team at this point.
In any event, all three men appear set to be an important part of Tennessee’s plans this fall, which will be here before we know it.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Tennessee might have just spilled the beans on team’s leadership core for 2026 season
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