Training camps started throughout the NFL this week. New faces will be in new places, including 12 Tennessee football rookies looking to earn their spot on rosters across the league.
Tennessee had three players drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft and nine more signed contracts as undrafted free agents.
The three Vols drafted likely already have a roster spot, but the rest will use rookie camp and training camp to earn a spot on the 53-man roster by the end of the preseason.
July 16 was the first day teams could begin training camp, and a couple of Tennessee draft picks were a part of the day-one festivities across the league.
Kansas City Chiefs 6th round pick Kamal Hadden and Miami Dolphins 4th round pick Jaylen Wright began their Rookie Camp on July 16 and were the only Vols to get an early start.
Dee Williams and Aaron Beasley began rookie camp on July 17 with the Seattle Seahawks, the only other Vols to begin their careers in the league. Here is the full NFL Training Camp schedule.
A couple of Vols will also begin their NFL career in the Volunteer State with the Titans. Former Tennessee linebacker Gabe Jedy-Lally and running back Jabari Small both signed undrafted free-agent deals with the Titans and will look to make an early impact this summer.
NFL veterans will join the rookies starting on Friday, and most franchises will start veteran camp next week. The NFL Preseason begins August 1 with the Hall of Fame Game between the Texans and Bears.
The rest of the NFL will begin their preseason on August 8. That's when we will see (hopefully) a dozen rookies from the University of Tennessee try to make their mark on the field and earn a spot on an NFL roster.
There are 12 Tennessee rookies across nine NFL teams this year. Here are the teams that currently have a Vol in their rookie minicamp:
Chiefs - Kamal Hadden
Dolphins - Jayden Wright
Seahawks - Aaron Beasley, Dee Williams
Patriots - Joe Milton, Jacob Warren
Panthers - Jeremiah Crawford
Raiders - Ramel Keyton
Eagles - McCallan Castles
Rams - Jaylen McCollough
Titans - Jabari Small, Gabe Jedy-Lally