The Tennessee Football pro day was held today, and 14 former Vols were in attendance in front of many NFL coaches.
Pro Day Flicks 📸#GBO 🍊
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) March 30, 2023
What is the Tennessee Football Pro Day?
The Pro Day is arguably one of the most important events that NFL prospects go through before the NFL Draft. It can help boost a player’s draft stock or destroy it. It’s sometimes more important than the NFL Combine because it’s like a second chance if you underperform at the Combine.
Furthermore, According to Sports Illustrated:
"“With the NFL combine out of the way, there is one final step before the NFL Draft for the college football players looking to make it to the league. One last chance to prove themselves athletically. This final step, of course, is each athlete’s Pro Day at their schools. For the Tennessee Volunteers, the Pro Day is today. Fourteen different players from last season’s Tennessee squad will get one final opportunity to prove their worth in front of NFL teams.”"
Which Former Tennessee Football stars were in attendance?
#58 Darnell Wright (OL):
According to UT Sports:
"“Talented and powerful offensive tackle who has positioned himself as one of the top offensive line prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft … Was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the nation’s top 10 prospects coming out of Huntington High School in West Virginia … Can play tackle or guard and dominated at right tackle for the Vols in 2022 earning first-team All-SEC honors … Concluded his career without allowing a sack in 19 consecutive games … Played in 47 games and made 42 starts – 27 at right tackle, two at right guard and 13 at left tackle … Saw action on 2,746 offensive snaps in his four seasons.”"
#4 Cedric Tillman (WR):
According to UT Sports:
"“Big, physical wide receiver who had a knack for making impactful plays … Poised for a promising NFL career … Played five seasons for the Vols after electing to return for his super senior season in 2022 … Played in 44 games with 21 starts … Tremendous hands and produced numerous highlight reel plays … Caught 109 passes for 1,622 yards and 17 touchdowns … His 17 receiving touchdowns finished tied for 10th in Vol career annals … Tallied 24 catches of 20+ yards, 12 catches of 30+ yards, and 10 receptions of 40+ yards … Produced six 100-yard receiving games, which is tied for eight in UT history … Owns the school record for consecutive games with a TD catch at seven from Oct. 16 to Dec. 30, 2021 … Made his 100th career catch at Georgia in Week 10 of the 2022 season … Prepped in Nevada before signing with the Vols … Three-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll … Graduated from Tennessee in December in 2021 … A 2023 NFL Combine invitee.”"
#38 Solon Page (LB):
According to UT Sports:
"“Sixth-year linebacker who brought leadership and experience to the Vols … Saw most of his time as Mike and Will linebacker and was also a contributor on special teams … Played in 35 games and made four starts … Tallied 84 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack and one interception for a score … Four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll … Graduated from Tennessee in December 2021.”"
#11 Latrell Bumphus (DL)
According to UT Sports:
"“One of the top versatile pass rushers on the squad who brought leadership and experience to the defensive line … Returned for a sixth season in 2022 … Played in 55 games with 24 starts … Accumulated 66 tackles – 34 solo – to go along with 12 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and two pass breakups … Originally recruited as a tight end and moved to the defensive line following the 2018 season where he spent the final four seasons of his career … Worked his way back from a season-ending knee injury sustained in November 2020 and battled through a knee injury in the spring of 2022 … Earned two degrees during his time at Tennessee, receiving his undergraduate degree in December 2021 and his master’s degree in December 2022 … Invited to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in January 2023.”"
#11 Jalin Hyatt (WR)
According to UT Sports:
"‘The most explosive playmaker in all of college football who left his mark as the nation’s best receiver and a unanimous first-team All-American … Became the first player in program history to win the Biletnikoff Award in 2022, presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in the FBS … Declared for the 2023 NFL Draft following his 2022 junior regular season … Holds UT records for single-game touchdown receptions (5 vs. Alabama on 10/15/22), single-game points scored (30 vs. Alabama on 10/15/22) and single-season receiving touchdowns (15 in 2022) … Played in 35 games with 14 starts in three seasons … Finished with 108 receptions for 1,769 yards and 19 touchdowns while averaging 16.4 yards per catch … His 19 receiving touchdowns tied for fourth in program history with Peerless Price … Logged five games with over 100 yards receiving and produced five games with multiple touchdown receptions … Of his 108 catches, 52 went for 10+ yards, 30 for 20+ yards, 21 for 30+ yards and 12 for 40+ yards … Arrived at Tennessee as one of the top prep players in South Carolina.’"
#88 Princeton Fant (TE)
According to UT Sports:
"‘Athletic, versatile tight end out of Nashville who played six seasons with the Vols and proved to be a valuable playmaker in his final two years … Can block, catch, run and even throw … Played in 46 games and made 14 starts in his career … Started his career as a running back and moved to tight end prior to the 2019 season … Member of the team’s leadership council … Caught 52 passes for 579 yards and five touchdowns, with two of those coming on his Senior Day against Missouri (11/12/22) … Also had five rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown to his name … Earned his degree from Tennessee in December 2021 … Selected to participate in the 2023 East-West Shrine Game in Las Vegas.’"
#5 Hendon Hooker (QB)
According to UT Sports:
"“A program-changing quarterback who led Tennessee back to national prominence in his two seasons … Finished his time with the Vols as one of the most well-liked and respected players to dawn the Orange & White, holding a high standard for himself and his teammates in all facets of being a student-athlete … Earned his undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech and spent four seasons with the Hokies prior to transferring to Tennessee officially on Jan. 8, 2021 … Played in 49 career games with 37 starts, including 24 games with 22 starts at Tennessee … For his entire collegiate career, put up 11,053 yards of total offense, completing 632-of-944 passes (66.9 percent) for 8,974 yards and 80 touchdowns with 12 interceptions … Added 2,079 yards on 517 carries with 25 scores on the ground, including four 100-yard rushing games … Owned a 15-7 record as a starter at Tennessee with the offense averaging 43.1 points per game and 512.3 yards per game in those 22 contests … In his two seasons at Tennessee, completed 435-of-632 passes (68.8) for 6,080 yards with 58 touchdowns and only five interceptions … Shattered Peyton Manning’s school record for career completion percentage (68.8) … Added 1,046 yards on 270 carries with 10 touchdowns on the ground at UT … Finished his Tennessee career with 58 TD passes, the fifth-most in program history … Accounted for 7,126 yards of total offense in his 24 games as a Vol, the sixth-best total in program history … One of only two players in school history to rush for 1,000 yards and throw for over 6,000 yards in a career, joining Joshua Dobbs … Ranks eighth all time in career passing yards at UT with 6,080, having passed Jeff Francis in his final game … Threw multiple TD passes in 20 of his 24 games at UT, and accounted for multiple scores (rushing or passing) in 22 of his 24 games played in … His 1,046 rushing yards are the third-most by a UT QB in career annals … Produced 15 games with at least one rushing touchdown and one passing score, including nine at UT … Owned seven 300-yard passing games, including six at UT … Owner of the program record with 20 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, surpassing Heath Shuler’s previous record of 18 from 1992-94 … Attempted 261 consecutive passes without an interception, the longest streak in program history and the third-longest streak in SEC history, before throwing a pick against Alabama (10/15/22) … Saw his brilliant career come to an end in a Week 11 game at South Carolina (11/19) as he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee … Still managed to sweep SEC Offensive Player of the Year honors and become UT’s highest Heisman Trophy finisher in 25 years with fifth place … Defeated six AP Top 25 teams as a starter in his two seasons at UT … Comes from a family pedigree of quarterbacks, including his father and brother … Invited to the Reese’s Senior Bowl and NFL Combine following his collegiate career.”"
#33 Jeremy Banks (LB)
According to UT Sports:
"“Physical and imposing linebacker who played five seasons with the Vols … Played in 48 games and made 19 starts during his career … Exploded as a junior at the Will linebacker position, becoming the Vols’ first player with 100-plus tackles since 2015 … Came to UT as a heralded prospect out of the Memphis area as a running back before making the switch to linebacker prior to the 2019 season … Collected 219 career tackles – 109 solo – and 18 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions and 10 passes defended … Owned six double-digit tackle games … Was an active leader in the Vols’ community service efforts … Invited and participated in the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas … Selected to the 2023 NFL Combine.”"
#75 Jerome Carvin (OL)
According to UT Sports:
"“Veteran, dominant offensive lineman who illustrated versatility his entire career … Played five seasons for the Vols, seeing action in 60 games with 43 starts … Appeared in more career games than any position player in school history … A strong leader and presence in the locker room … Came to Tennessee as one of the top prospects out of Memphis … Of his 43 starts, 21 came at left guard, 17 at right guard and five at center … Saw action on 2,817 total offensive snaps … Allowed only two sacks over the last 26 games of his career and did not allow one in 2021 … Invited and participated in the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl in Las Vegas in January … Graduated from Tennessee in December 2022.”"
#1 Trevon Flowers (DB)
According to UT Sports:
"“Instinctive and talented safety who played five seasons for the Vols … A primary starter for three straight seasons who also illustrated his playmaking skills as part of the return game … Served as one of Tennessee’s three player representatives at 2022 SEC Media Days in his hometown of Atlanta … Member of UT’s leadership council … Appeared in 46 career games with 36 starts … Notched 227 tackles, five tackles for loss, five interceptions, 13 passes defended and three forced fumbles … Arrived in Knoxville as a three-sport star and baseball prospect out of Atlanta but chose to focus on football … Graduated from Tennessee in December 2022.”"
#6 Byron Young (LB)
According to UT Sports:
"“Proved to be one of the nation’s top edge rushers in his two seasons on Rocky Top … A physical and quick defender who is poised for a promising NFL career … Committed to the Vols on National Signing Day in December 2020 as one of the top junior college players in the country … Prepped in South Carolina before going the junior college route … Played in 24 games with 21 starts and logged 83 tackles, 23.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and 22 quarterback hurries … Invited and participated in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl and was selected to the 2023 NFL Combine.”"
#37 Paxton Brooks (P/K)
According to UT Sports:
"“Veteran specialist who produced a distinguished career on and off the field as a Vol … Spent five seasons with the program and served as UT’s starting punter and kickoff specialist … A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll who was a CSC First Team All-America selection in 2021 and a second-team recipient in 2022 … Selected as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy in 2022 … Was the starting punter for four straight seasons … Played in 61 career games … Averaged 42.33 yards per punt, which ranked eighth all-time in UT history (163 attempts for 6,900 yards) … Averaged 60.5 yards per kickoff … 126 of his 252 kickoffs went for touchbacks (50 percent) … 32 of his punts went fr 50+ yards and 58 of his punts were pinned inside the 20 … Career-long punt was 64 yards … Through his leadership efforts, selected to the 2020-21 VOLeaders Academy … Earned his undergraduate degree in May 2021 and received his master’s degree in December 2022 … Selected to the 2023 NFL Combine.”"
#40 Chase McGrath (PK)
According to UT Sports:
"“Strong-legged graduate transfer placekicker who played two seasons with the Vols after transferring from Southern Cal … Kicked the infamous game-winning 40-yard field goal to defeat No. 3 Alabama on the Third Saturday in October in his final season of collegiate eligibility … Hit two game-winning field goals in his career — a 40-yarder against No. 3 Alabama (10/15/22) while at Tennessee and a 43-yarder against Texas (9/16/17) while at USC … Spent four seasons at USC and graduated in December 2020 … Enrolled at Tennessee in January 2021 … Was the starting kicker at USC for three seasons and overcame a knee injury sustained in 2018 … Including both his time at USC and UT, was 60-of-78 on field goals (76.9 percent) during his career with a career-long make of 52 yards (2019 at USC) … Was 3-of-7 (42.9 percent) from 50 yards or more … Owns two UT single-season records – made PATs with 70 in 2022 and PATs attempted with 72 in 2022 … Was 118-of-119 in PATs at USC and was 254-of-257 for his entire career … Was 136-of-138 on PATs at UT and had made 98 in a row as a Vol before a miss … Played in 56 games, including 30 at USC and 26 at Tennessee … His 220 points in two seasons as a Vol ranks tied for 11th in UT career annals.”"
#52 Maurese Smith (DL)
According to UT Sports:
"“Veteran walk-on defensive line who provided outstanding depth and leadership to the unit … Played in four games during his two seasons … A member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.”"