BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference announced its preseason All-SEC teams on Thursday, which were voted on by the league’s 16 head coaches and included four Volunteers in Cooper Mays, James Pearce Jr., Dylan Sampson and Squirrel White.
Mays and Pearce Jr. were tabbed as first-team selections at center and defensive line, respectively. Both were first-team preseason All-SEC picks by the media back in July, as well.
The duo of Mays and Pearce Jr. has racked up honors this preseason, as both have also been named preseason All-Americans and have been selected to multiple watch lists for national awards entering the 2024 campaign.
Sampson and White, UT’s returning leaders in rushing and receiving yards, were third-team selections after combining for 1,582 total yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago.
Mays enters his fifth year with the program and will be Tennessee’s starting center for the fourth consecutive season. In 2023, Mays did not allow a sack and surrendered only one quarterback hit in 531 snaps as he anchored an offensive line that became Joe Moore Award semifinalists for a second straight year.
The Kingston, Tennessee, native has played in 40 games with 32 starts – all of them coming at center. Mays has seen action on 2,075 career offensive snaps and has allowed only four sacks. He enters the 2024 season on the preseason watch lists for the Rimington Trophy and the Outland Trophy.
Pearce Jr. is coming off a breakout sophomore season in which he earned first-team All-SEC recognition from the Associated Press and coaches. In 2023, he registered 28 tackles (18 solo), 14.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries, one interception for a touchdown, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
The Charlotte, North Carolina, native also tied for the SEC lead in sacks and ranked second in the league in tackles for loss last season. Pearce Jr. is on five preseason watch lists for national awards entering the year.
Sampson ranked second on the team in carries (106) and rushing yards (604) while tying for the team lead with seven rushing scores in 2023. The junior tailback also caught 17 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown on the year. Sampson was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list earlier this summer.
White is coming off an impressive sophomore season in which he led the Big Orange with 67 receptions for 803 yards to go along with a pair of touchdown grabs. The Birmingham, Alabama, native is on the Biletnikoff Award watch list entering his junior season.
The full preseason coaches’ All-SEC teams can be seen HERE.
Tennessee kicks off its 2024 season in nine days when it hosts Chattanooga inside Neyland Stadium at 12:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
2024 Tennessee Football Preseason Honors
Head Coach Josh Heupel
Dodd Trophy Watch List
Chris Brazzell II, WR, R-So.
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List
John Campbell Jr., OL, R-Sr.
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Boo Carter, DB, Fr.
On3 True Freshman Preseason All-American
Bryson Eason, DL, R-Sr.
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Nico Iamaleava, QB, R-Fr.
Maxwell Award Watch List
Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List
ESPN.com College Football Top 100 Player (No. 92)
Lance Heard, OL, So.
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Cooper Mays, C, Sr.
Outland Trophy Watch List
Rimington Trophy Watch List
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
First-Team All-American (Walter Camp)
Second-Team All-American (AP, ESPN, Phil Steele)
First-Team All-SEC (Coaches, Media)
Second-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Phil Steele)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Bru McCoy, WR, R-Sr.
Wuerffel Trophy Watch List
AFCA Good Works Team Nominee
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Jaxson Moi, DL, Jr.
Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List
Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Sr.
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Third-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
James Pearce Jr., DE, Jr.
Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List
Lombardi Award Watch List
Lott Trophy Watch List
Walter Camp Player of the Year Watch List
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
First-Team All-American (AP, The Athletic, Athlon, ESPN, Phil Steele, Walter Camp)
First-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Coaches, Media, Phil Steele, Walter Camp)
ESPN.com College Football Top 100 Player (No. 1)
Keenan Pili, LB, Sr.
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Jackson Ross, P, So.
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
Dylan Sampson, RB, Jr.
Doak Walker Award Watch List
Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Coaches)
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
Javontez Spraggins, OL, Sr.
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Omari Thomas, DL, Sr.
Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List
Fourth-Team All-SEC (Athlon)
Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List
Squirrel White, WR, Jr.
Biletnikoff Award Watch List
Third-Team All-SEC (Athlon, Coaches, Phil Steele)
