Look: No. 15 Tennessee's official depth chart for the season opener vs. Chattanooga
The wait is over. Game week is here for No. 15 Tennessee, with the season opener against Chattanooga set for Saturday in a 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff on SEC Network. Here’s a look at the official depth chart for Game 1, which the Vols released in their game notes on Monday:
Quarterback
| Starter | Nico Iamaleava |
| Backup | Gaston Moore |
| Backup | Jake Merklinger |
At long last, redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava takes over at starting quarterback. The former five-star prospect and No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class made his first career start in the 35-0 Citrus Bowl win over Iowa on New Year’s Day, accounting for 178 total yards and four total touchdowns.
He made five total appearances as a freshman last season while backing up Joe Milton III. He completed 28 of 45 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns and ran 20 times for 71 yards and the three rushing touchdowns in the bowl win.
Gaston Moore followed Josh Heupel and his staff from Central Florida in 2021 and provides a veteran backup option ahead of freshman Jake Merklinger, a former four-star recruit in the 2024 class.
Running Back
| Starter | Dylan Sampson |
| -or- Cam Seldon | |
| -or- DeSean Bishop | |
| -or- Khalifa Keith | |
| -or- Peyton Lewis |
Dylan Sampson last season for 604 yards on 106 carries, scoring seven touchdowns on the ground while playing behind Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small. He added 17 catches for 175 yards and another touchdown through the air. Seldon, Lewis and Bishop are all returning from injuries and will provide depth behind Sampson in a Tennessee offense that consistently relies on multiple backs.
Wide Receiver
| Starter | Chris Brazzell -or- Dont’e Thornton |
| Backup | Nathan Leacock |
| Starter | Bru McCoy -or- Kaleb Webb |
| Backup | Mike Matthews |
| Starter | Squirrel White -or- Chas Nimrod |
| Backup | Braylon Staley |
Squirrel White led Tennessee in receiving last season with 67 catches for 803 yards and had two touchdowns. Dont’e Thornton caught 13 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown before suffering a season-ending leg injury in the loss at Missouri in November and McCoy had 17 catches for 217 yards and a touchdown before his gruesome lower-leg injury ended his season in September against South Carolina.
Chas Nimrod caught 19 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown and Webb caught 16 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown.
Chris Brazzell was one of Tennessee’s headliners in its NCAA Transfer Portal class after he caught 44 passes for 711 yards and five touchdowns during a breakout sophomore season at Tulane. The Vols also add talented freshmen in Mike Matthews, a former five-star recruit, and Braylon Staley, a four-star prospect.
Tight End
| Starter | Ethan Davis |
| -or- Miles Kitselman | |
| -or- Holden Staes |
Tennessee overhauled its tight end room after the departures of Jacob Warren and McCallan Castles, adding Miles Kitselman (Alabama) and Holden Staes (Notre Dame) out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, joining redshirt freshman Ethan Davis.
Offensive Line
| Left Tackle | Lance Heard -or- Larry Johnson III |
| Left Guard | Andrej Karic -or- Jackson Lampley |
| Center | Cooper Mays |
| Backup | William Satterwhite -or- Vysen Lang |
| Right Guard | Javontez Spraggins |
| Backup | Shamurad Umarov |
| Right Tackle | John Campbell -or- Dayne Davis |
The biggest question is left guard, where there was an open competition throughout training camp. John Campbell flipped to right tackle after Tennessee added Lance Heard (LSU) from the NCAA Transfer Portal, a former five-star freshman. He was ranked as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the On3 Transfer Portal rankings and No. 8 overall among transfers.
Cooper Mays anchors the group at center as a preseason All-American pick. Javontez Spraggins is another experienced and productive veteran and returns at right guard.
Defensive Line
| Starter | Bryson Eason |
| -or- Omarr Norman-Lott | |
| -or- Daevin Hobbs | |
| Starter | Omari Thomas |
| -or- Elijah Simmons | |
| -or- Jaxson Moi |
Tennessee’s defensive line is deep, talented and experienced. Seniors Omari Thomas and Omarr Norman-Lott return after combining for 61 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season. Redshirt senior Bryson Eason had 27.0 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks last season and Elijah Simmons, another redshirt senior, had 19.0 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a half sack.
Defensive End
| Starter | Dominic Bailey |
| -or- Tyre West | |
| -or- Jayson Jenkins | |
| -or- Tyree Weathersby |
Dominic Bailey, a redshirt senior, started twice last season while playing in all 13 games, ending the year with three tackles and a fumble recovery in the Citrus Bowl shutout win over Iowa. Junior Joshua Josephs should benefit from playing opposite of James Pearce Jr. Josephs in 12 games last season had 20.0. tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
LEO
| Starter | James Pearce Jr. |
| -or- Joshua Josephs | |
| -or- Caleb Herring | |
| -or- Jordan Ross |
James Pearce Jr. is widely projected to be a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and enters the season ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 player in college football. Pearce erupted onto the scene as a sophomore last season, finishing the year with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks in 13 games. He had 28 total tackles, two forced fumbles and one interception returned for a touchdown.
Weakside Linebacker
| Starter | Arion Carter |
| -or- Kalib Perry | |
| Backup | Jalen Smith |
Arion Carter as a freshman last season had 17 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks in eight games, before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the win at Kentucky, an injury that required surgery.
Middle Linebacker
| Starter | Keenan Pili |
| -or- Jeremiah Tealander | |
| Backup | Edwin Spillman |
Keenan Pili transferred last year from BYU, giving Tennessee an experienced veteran at middle linebacker. His season lasted only one game, though, after suffering a season-ending tricep injury in the win over Virginia in Nashville.
Cornerback
| Starter | Jermod McCoy |
| -or- Jordan Matthews | |
| Backup | Wiliam Wright |
| Starter | Rickey Gibson II |
| -or- Jalen McMurray | |
| Backup | Kaleb Beasley |
Jermod McCoy transferred to Tennessee after playing at Oregon State last season. As a freshman with the Beavers he had 31 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and seven passes defended. Rickey Gibson III as a freshman last season had nine tackles, including 1.0 tackles for loss and one pass broken up, in 13 games.
Safety
| Starter | Will Brooks |
| -or- Christian Charles | |
| Backup | Edrees Farooq |
| Starter | Andre Turrentine |
| -or- Jakobe Thomas | |
| Backup | John Slaughter |
Redshirt senior Will Brooks is the veteran at the position, having played in 36 game over the last three seasons. He played 189 snaps on defense last season, finishing with 18.0 tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and a pass broken up in 13 games last season.
Star
| Starter | Christian Harrison |
| -or- Boo Carter |
Jourdan Thomas was the biggest injury victim in the preseason, suffering a season-ending knee injury and opening up the competition at the Star position. Redshirt sophomore Christian Harrison, the son of longtime NFL defensive back Rodney Harrison, has been praised consistently by coaches during camp. Ultra-athletic freshman Boo Carter has also garnered plenty of attention.
Special Teams
| Placekicker | Max Gilbert |
| -or- Josh Turbyville | |
| Punter | Jackson Ross |
| Backup | Josh Turbyville |
| Kickoff | Josh Turbyville |
| Backup | Max Gilbert |
| Longsnapper | Matthew Salansky |
| -or- Bennett Brady | |
| Holder | Jackson Ross |
| Kick Returner | Cameron Seldon |
| -or- DeSean Bishop | |
| Punt Returner | Squirrel White |
| -or- Jermod McCoy | |
| -or- Boo Carter |
Jackson Ross is back handling punts after averaging 42.49 yards per kick on 55 punts last season. He had a long of 71 yards, nine punts of 50 or more yards, 22 inside the 20 and 24 that were fair caught. Josh Turbyville kicked off 81 times last season, with 58 touchbacks and six landing out of bounds.
