Seven Vols Earn Preseason All-SEC Teams

Seven Tennessee Volunteers made Athlon Sports' preseason All-SEC teams.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has done an excellent job of retooling the roster in just two years. Heupel has done that work primarily through the transfer portal, though his first two recruiting classes are now on campus and practicing. His efforts were reflected in Athlon Sports' preseason All-SEC Teams, which you can read here.

The Tennessee offense was well-represented, which is expected in a Heupel regime. Wide receiver Bru McCoy, running back Jaylen Wright, wide receiver Squirrel White, and center Cooper Mays were the four offensive Vols who made the list. Considering how these teams are based primarily on projection, it is slightly surprising not to see Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III on one of the four teams. The quarterbacks in front of him were Arkansas's KJ Jefferson, Mississippi State's Will Rogers, LSU's Jayden Daniels, and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler.

Jaylen Wright, Tennessee RB

• Bru McCoy, WR: All-SEC Second Team
• Aaron Beasley, LB: All-SEC Third Team
• Dee Williams, PR: All-SEC Third Team
• Jaylen Wright, RB: All-SEC Fourth Team
• Squirrel White, WR: All-SEC Fourth Team
• Cooper Mays, C: All-SEC Fourth Team
• Tyler Baron, DL: All-SEC Fourth Team

Two defensive Vols made the cut: inside linebacker Aaron Beasley and defensive lineman Tyler Baron. Many project Beasley to be the heart and soul of this defense, as he led them in tackles one year ago. Meanwhile, Baron is the top returning defensive lineman on the team, totaling 23 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2022. We would be remiss if we didn't mention punt returner Dee Williams, who made the third team. There's a well-reasoned argument for Williams to come in even higher. Williams averaged 17 yards per punt return, an ungodly number good for No. 2 in college football.

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