‘Not the Underdogs’: 2023 Tennessee Target DeSean Bishop Shows and Tells Why Vols Could Be Perfect Fit

On Friday night, Bishop — a 2023 Tennessee target, Knoxville native and the nation’s leading rusher — guided Karns to its first playoff win in school history. His running during the game and responses after the victory show multiple reasons for why he and Josh Heupel could be a great match.

Jake Nichols | Nov 6, 2021

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — This season, 2023 Tennessee target DeSean Bishop has become a household name.

He leads the nation in rushing with 2,896 yards — just 461 shy of The Volunteer State record set by Jalen Hurd in 2014 — and he has achieved acclaim across the state as a bruising runner style whose reliability is “big,” according to Bishop’s coach, Brad Taylor.

“He’s a strong back, and he’ll wear you down,” Taylor said.

That approach is a major reason why the Vols extended a summer scholarship offer to the Knoxville native, who is one of several in-state prospects on Josh Heupel’s radar — a stark contrast to the in-state approach from Jeremy Pruitt.

“Probably the best place that I have right now, to be honest,” said Bishop of the Vols, who are flanked by Michigan State and Virginia Tech in the only current list of offers for the Karns tailback.

“They’re probably texting my phone right now,” he added on Friday night. “Just much love to Tennessee. Coach Heupel’s a great guy. He texted me before the game, too. Our chemistry and bond is really good right now.”

“I remember when they offered me, that was a really big deal to me — that a Power Five school and an SEC school in my hometown wants me to come play for them. They really jumped onto me right then and there and have been showing the most love recently. It’s just a good feeling for me knowing a school like that wants me.”

Does that feeling mean Bishop wants the Vols back, though? He could certainly see himself fitting in, especially coming from a family with at least one Tennessee fan.

“They see me well in that system,” he said. “Their running scheme is based off cutbacks and making guys miss one-on-one, and I see myself fitting very well too. At one of their camps I got to break down their offense a little bit, and I saw a lot.”

“It’s a good feeling that I could be able to stay home, just right down the street from them.”

DeSean Bishop, 2023 Tennessee target and Karns running back, is on pace to break Jalen Hurd’s 2012 rushing record of 3,357 rushing yards. He is 461 yards shy after helping Karns to its first playoff win in school history on Friday night.

While Bishop’s answers reflect Heupel’s nose-to-the-grindstone approach to recruiting, it was the junior’s own grittiness that stole the show Friday night — just has it has most nights this season.

In Round 1 of the Class 5A state playoffs, Bishop paced the Beavers with 188 yards and three touchdowns — including the game-winner with just over four minutes left — to give his team a 27-25 win, Karns’ first postseason success in school history.

“It was just a different atmosphere and energy playing in a playoff game,” Bishop said. “I didn’t play in a playoff game my first two years here. This is a great feeling for us to win, to make history. I’ve been preaching all week, ‘Let’s make history.’ This means a lot to us.“

The win may be even sweeter considering the number of wild exchanges. By game’s end, though, Karns had withstood a late Walker Valley comeback for a win that sent a raucous crowd spilling onto the field.

And from kickoff to celebration, Bishop made himself known.

In the first half, the junior converted on fourth down to set up his own score before going airborne for a 21-12 lead at the break.

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! NOPE — it’s DeSean Bishop.

Bishop goes over the top to give @KarnsBeaversFB a 21-12 lead after the PAT, and that remains the score at the half.

Another impressive night so far for the #Vols 2023 target. @VR2onSI pic.twitter.com/vINTjkhScx
— Jake Nichols (@jnichols_2121) November 5, 2021

Even after the Mustangs mounted a valiant 13-point second-half comeback, Bishop came through again with a game-winning dive into the end zone with just under four-and-a-half minutes left.

The Karns defense wrapped up the affair with a sack after an unsportsmanlike penalty call pushed Walker Valley out of field goal range, and Bishop made quick work of the Mustangs’ defense for a win-clinching first down.

After bouncing off tacklers during the game, Bishop greeted family and friends more warmly. Then, he grabbed a giant Karns flag from a teammate and propped it on the “K” logo at midfield.

At that point, even with a growing offer list and the invisible load of “top tailback in the nation” positioned squarely above his pads, Bishop didn’t appear concerned about himself or the pressure — even though he’s a game or two from snapping a rushing record that he thinks he could break as early as next week.

Instead, after being swarmed by the Karns student section, Bishop was more concerned about his fellow Beavers — a word that, fittingly, was also emblazoned across the chest of his blue No. 8 jersey.

“This definitely puts Karns on the map,” Bishop said. “You don’t know how much it means to us to get this win. They looked at us as the underdogs since the beginning, but we’re really not the underdogs, to be honest.”

“We can beat any team. It doesn’t make a difference (who we play).”

In Heupel’s time at Tennessee, he’s instilled that same mindset in the Vols — that they expect to win, no matter the opponent or any preconceived notions.

To that end (and considering Bishop’s proximity and appreciation of Tennessee’s efforts), it should be interesting to see whether the Vols and Bishop can join together in the coming years.

There certainly appears to be plenty of interest from both sides so far.

Cover photo, highlight video and gallery courtesy of Jake Nichols

Published Nov 6, 2021

JAKE NICHOLS