KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Ten members of the Tennessee football program received preseason All-SEC recognition from Athlon Sports, the publication announced on Monday. The Vols were one of four teams in the conference with double-digit selections, and UT’s 10 picks were its most since having 11 named to Athlon’s preseason All-SEC squads in 2016.
Redshirt-senior receiver Cedric Tillman and senior defensive lineman Byron Young highlight the Big Orange contingent with first-team All-SEC selections. Redshirt-senior QB Hendon Hooker and senior linebacker Jeremy Banks represent Tennessee on Athlon’s All-SEC second team.
Senior offensive lineman Jerome Carvin, junior edge rusher Tyler Baron and senior punter Paxton Brooks were recognized as third-team honorees, while junior running back Jabari Small, senior offensive lineman Darnell Wright and senior safety Trevon Flowers garnered fourth-team preseason accolades.
One of the top returning playmakers in all of college football, Tillman gears up for his redshirt senior campaign after a breakout season in 2021. In his first year within head coach Josh Heupel‘s system, he led the Volunteer receiving corps with 64 catches for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns—ranking ninth, fifth and third in the SEC in those categories, respectively. He capped the year with four straight 100-yard receiving games and set the school record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch at seven, a streak that continues entering 2022.
In his first season at the FBS level, Young played 11 games with eight starts on the Tennessee defensive line and tied Banks for the team lead in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (11.5). He ranked second among UT linemen with 46 total tackles on the year and posted a TFL in six consecutive SEC contests before recording a season-high eight tackles, 2.5 TFLs and his first-career interception against Purdue at the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
A 2021 Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist, Hooker produced one of the most efficient seasons at quarterback in Tennessee history in his first year with the program last fall. The dynamic dual-threat signal caller racked up 3,565 yards of total offense, which ranked fourth in the SEC and fourth in UT single-season history. He shattered school records for passer efficiency rating (181.4) and completion percentage (68.0) and carries a streak of 12 consecutive games with a touchdown pass into 2022, which is the third-longest streak in school history. For the season, Hooker completed 206-of-303 passes for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns with three interceptions.
Tennessee’s top tackler last season, Banks finished second in the SEC in total tackles (128) and tackles per game (9.85)—respectively ranking seventh and 13th nationally. He tied with Young for the team lead with 11.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks and capped his junior campaign with a monster performance in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl against Purdue, leading all players with a career-high 20 tackles while also setting career-bests with 2.5 TFLs and two pass breakups.
A veteran, dominant offensive lineman for the Big Orange, Carvin started all 13 games in 2021 with seven coming at left guard, five at center and one at right guard. Per PFF College, the Memphis native did not allow a sack on 896 offensive snaps last year and has issued only one sack in his last three seasons combined entering 2022. Carvin was a key piece to Tennessee’s offensive unit that set program records for points scored (511) total offense (6,174 yards) and touchdowns (67) in its first year under Heupel.
A local product and talented edge rusher, Baron posted 7.0 TFLs during the 2021 campaign and will combine with Young as one of the league’s most disruptive pass rushing tandems in 2022. The Knoxville native posted 30 tackles last season with 7.0 TFLs, four sacks, two quarterback hurries and two pass breakups.
Entering his fifth season with the Vols in 2022, Brooks set new career-bests for punting average (44.0) and punts inside the 20-yard line (18) last fall. The Lexington, S.C. product booted 45 punts for 1,982 yards, including a career-long 64-yard punt in the season-opening win over Bowling Green, and was recognized as a first team CoSIDA Academic All-American at the conclusion of the 2021 campaign.
Small finished his sophomore campaign as Tennessee’s leading rusher, taking 140 carries for 792 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. He owned three 100-yard rushing games on the season and ended the year with a career-high 180 rushing yards vs. Purdue in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, including a career-long rush of 60 yards and a two-yard TD plunge. His 180-yard performance tied Travis Henry in the 2001 Cotton Bowl for the second-highest rushing output in a bowl game in program history.
UT’s most consistent presence on the offensive line last fall, Wright started all 13 games at left tackle and saw a team-high snap count of 922 on the season. His blocking contributed to a Tennessee offense that set program records for points scored (511), total offense (6,174 yards) and touchdowns (67).
One of the most experienced returning defensive players for the Big Orange, Flowers elected to return for a fifth season after starting 12 games at safety in 2021. He finished the year ranking eighth among SEC defensive backs with a career-best 82 tackles, which ranked third on the team. The Atlanta native nabbed two interceptions and registered a career-high five passes defended during his senior season, ranking second and fifth on the squad.
Tennessee’s 2022 season begins under the lights of Neyland Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 1 when the Volunteers take on Ball State. The season opener will kick off at 7 p.m. ET and will be televised on SEC Network.
Fans wishing to purchase new season tickets can do so at AllVols.com or by contacting the UT Athletic Ticket Office at (865) 946-7000.
-UT Athletics
