Two Tennessee players named First Team Preseason All-American by Walter Camp
The Walter Camp Football Foundation on Monday released its preseason All-American teams, with Tennessee center Cooper Mays and edge rusher James Pearce being named to the First Team.
Mays, the 6-foot-4, 310-pound fifth-year senior, has been Tennessee’s starting center the last four seasons and was a Second Team All-SEC pick by the Associated Press in 2023.
Last season he missed the four games after undergoing hernia surgery in August.
Pearce is coming off a breakout sophomore season, finishing with 14.5 tackles for loss and 10.0 sacks in 13 games and is widely considered to be one of the top pass rushers in college football entering his junior season.
James Pearce projected as a top pick in 2025 NFL Draft
Pearce in May was projected to be a top-five pick in ESPN’s first mock draft for the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Pearce has a rare combination of bend and closing speed,” ESPN NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid wrote. “He’s a scheme-versatile defender who had a 20.2% pressure rate (third in the FBS), 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss last season, and he was especially great on third down (25.5% pressure).
“The Panthers need an explosive edge rusher after trading Brian Burns to the Giants this offseason.”
Pearce was also given 7/1 odds by BetOnline in May to be the No. 1 pick by BetOnline, behind only Colorado quarterback Shadeur Sanders (5/2), Beck (4/1) and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers (5/1).
Kickoff times, kickoff windows for Tennessee this season
Kickoff times and TV information for four Tennessee games this season have been announced, while kickoff windows are set for the other eight.
The season-opener against Chattanooga on August 31 will be a 12:45 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: SEC Network), the N.C. State game on September 7 in Charlotte is set for 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC), Kent State on September 14 will kick at 7:45 p.m. ET (SEC Network) and the UTEP game on November 23 will be a 1 p.m. ET start (SEC Network+).
The SEC and ESPN last week announced kickoff windows — early, afternoon, night or flex — across the league.
Early games will start between Noon and 1 p.m. Afternoon games are between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m. and night games will be between 6 and 8 p.m. Flex games could fall between 3:30-4:30 or 6-8.
Tennessee’s flex games include Oklahoma (September 21), Arkansas (September 28), Florida (October 5) and Alabama (October 12). Night games will be Kentucky (November 2) and Mississippi State (November 9) and the Vanderbilt game on November 30 will be in the early window.
