Tennessee football receives dozens of preseason honors

Tennessee football players and coaches have been named to dozens of preseason honors ahead of the 2024 college football season. Head coach Josh Heupel heads the Vols' preseason honors, being named to the Dodd Trophy Watch List. 

Heupel joins six other SEC coaches on the watch list for the Dodd Trophy, which promotes coaches who earn the highest Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and have been head coaches for at least the past two seasons at their current program.

Offensive linemen John Campbell Jr., Cooper Mays, and Javontez Spraggins were named to the Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List, with wide receiver Bru McCoy and defensive linemen Omari Thomas and Bryson Eason. 

Mays also tied James Pearce Jr. for the most recognition ahead of the 2024 season. Along with his mention on the Shrine Bowl Watch List, Mays has also been named to the Outland Trophy Watch List, First-Team All-American (Walter Camp), First-Team All-SEC (Media), and Second-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Phil Steele). 

Pearce has been recognized on the Walter Camp Award Watch List, Lott Trophy Watch List, Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, First-Team All-American (Athlon, Phil Steele, Walter Camp), and First-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Media, Phil Steele, Walter Camp). 

Even redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava earned some preseason recognition ahead of his first season as a full-time starter. Nico was named to the Maxwell Award Watch List, which recognizes the best all-around player in college football. 

Other Tennessee players recognized with preseason recognition and watch lists include Omar Norman-Lott, Keenan Pili, Jackson Ross, Dylan Sampson, and Squirrel White, who was most recently named to the Biltenikoff Award Watch List. 

The full list of players and preseason recognition is available here, where you can see every Tennessee player recognized before the Vols take the field on August 31 against Chattanooga.