This is quite literally the LAST thing Tennessee needs to be dealing with right now. In the first half against Kennesaw State, star running back DeSean Bishop went down with a hip injury. He broke free for a long run (called back due to holding), but landed awkwardly. He was clearly in a ton of pain after taking the hit.
In the second half, though, Bishop was able to return midway through the third quarter for two carries. On the second one, Bishop was slow to get up, once again in pain, and he grimaced while laying down on the turf. He immediately subbed back out of the contest. With Texas up next, this is of course a major worry for this offense, as the hope is that he can return to 100 percent by kickoff next weekend.
And DeSean Bishop subs right back out after two carries. https://t.co/ziICYnU1qA
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) September 20, 2026
Tennessee needs DeSean Bishop back to full health before taking on Texas in Week 4
In Week 2, Bishop stole the show with his career-high 147 rushing yards in the win over Georgia Tech. Coming off a 1,000-yard season too, it's safe to say he's a major focus of the offensive game plan and he's a veteran leader for this young unit. If Tennessee wants any hope of taking down No. 1 Texas in Knoxville, Bishop has to be on the field, period.
Backup running back Daune Morris was able to take advantage of his extra carries, highlighted by a sweet 42-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Morris is a big-time talent, there's no arguing that. However, he doesn't have the same kind of experience as Bishop, especially in blockbuster games. Bishop is a force with the ball in his hands and he's been a great safety net for Faizon Brandon.
While Brandon has looked strong early this season, he's also showcased some freshman mistakes. Because of that, Bishop's number has been called early and often to take pressure off of the 5-star quarterback. That's of course going to have to be the case against Texas - but Bishop is going to have to overcome a bum hip.
Seeing Bishop slowly get up twice on Saturday night against Kennesaw State unquestionably left Tennessee supporters a bit nervous. Bringing him back for extra work was probably a mistake on Heupel's part, but all will be forgiven if he can get to work with the trainers to make sure this is a non-issue moving forward. If the Football God's are listening, please let Bishop be ready to rock to take on the Longhorns.
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