It's easy to see why so much attention at Tennessee fall camp has gone to both quarterbacks Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre, as Josh Heupel has a complicated decision on his hands. While that may be the case, no one can forget about the other playmakers who will make a monster impact, especially with the ground game. And one name in particular needs more attention: DeSean Bishop.
The case can be made that the junior running back could end up being Tennessee's most important offensive player this campaign. Last season, the bruising back rushed for over 1,000 yards despite Joey Aguilar throwing the ball all over the field for the Vols.
Come next season, assuming Brandon wins the job, it'll mark the second time in three years a freshman signal-caller takes over the offense for Heupel. Might Bishop fill the same role that Dylan Sampson did for Nico Iamaleava just two seasons ago? It's not overly wild to think about.
How much do we think DeSean Bishop benches? pic.twitter.com/ykIwbi5bf6
— Joey Petersen (@joeypetersen8) August 5, 2026
DeSean Bishop deserves more national attention ahead of the 2026 season
Yes, it probably seems unfair to try and compare Bishop to Sampson, who was a record-breaking back for the Vols. During the '24 campaign, Sampson, now with the Browns, rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns. He played a monster role in leading the UT offense, while Iamaleava still tossed for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns.
That's where we think a similar narrative can be played out in '26 with Bishop being the bellcow for Heupel. Last season, the Tennessee offense, especially in key situations, lived and died with Aguilar throwing the pigskin. Hey, we don't blame Heupel for going that route, as Aguilar had a cannon for a right arm, and he developed strong chemistry with his receivers. His veteran QB experience paid off.
The Vols are not going to have that luxury this season. Brandon and MacIntyre enter the year with minimal college experience, with the former making the move to Knoxville this past winter to begin his career. No one can expect for either player to be an immediate superstar in the SEC without having some growing pains.
With Brandon, it's going to take time for him to develop and adjust to the speed of the game should he lead the offense out onto the field against Furman on Sept. 5. But, that's exactly where Bishop can come in. The former walk-on averaged 5.9 yards per carry last season, with 16 touchdowns to his name.
Bishop had three games with more than 100 yards last campaign, but the expectation is for that number to jump handsomely this fall. In order for that to happen, Heupel is going to need to rely on him more consistently, while, again, taking the pressure off of Brandon/MacIntyre at the same time.
In the coming weeks, Heupel will make his final QB1 call, and it's going to make countless headlines regardless. With that, Tennessee fans need to have the confidence in Bishop to take another step forward this year, which will in turn determine just how far this team can go. Bishop may not be a household name at the national level, but something tells us that's going to be changing soon.
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