Tennessee Football Adds Two Stars to First-Team All-American List

The Tennessee Volunteers football program has two players on the preseason All-American lists.

This season, the Tennessee Volunteers will have several standout players on both sides of the football field. So much so that the Volunteers had two players on the Walter Camp Football All-American teams for both the offensive and defensive units.

Center Cooper Mays and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. have been named first-team All-Americans. With Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava in his first season as a full-time starter, the Volunteers benefit from having some of the best players in the country to lean on.

ESPN’s Matt Miller has released his newest first-round NFL mock draft. Miller predicted that Pearce Jr. will be drafted fourth overall and stay with the Tennessee Titans. Here’s what Miller said about the pick:

“This is a prove-it season for quarterback Will Levis as a second-year starter, but the early returns were excellent enough that we can forget about quarterbacks at the top of the draft for the time being. Instead, the Titans might land my preseason No. 1 overall pick — and an in-state talent.

Pearce, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 242 pounds, has exceptional edge speed, having recorded 9.5 sacks last season. He also demonstrated his all-around ability with a 52-yard pick-six last season. Pearce would be an instant hit opposite Harold Landry III.

The Tennessee Volunteers are seeking to build on their success last season under head coach Josh Heupel, and it begins with guys like May and Pearce Jr. living up to the preseason promise. If they do, Tennessee will be well-positioned to compete for a postseason spot this season.