Three Vols named to Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team

Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy and offensive linemen Javontez Spraggins and Cooper Mays on Tuesday were the three Vols represented on the Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team. McCoy was named Second Team All-SEC and Spraggins and Mays were Third Team All-SEC.

McCoy started all 12 games he played in last season, in his first year on the field for the Vols, catching 52 passes for 667 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 12.8 yards per catch, 12th best in the SEC. He was also named Second Team All-SEC by the media during SEC Media Days in July.

“He’s somebody that this off season, a year ago when he got here, coming off of the injury that he had come off of, he was just trying to figure out how to play and operate and practice inside of what we do offensively,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after Monday’s practice.

“Since January he’s been on our leadership council. He’s been very intentional in how he’s grown. It’s been fun to see him take those steps. He owns it. He likes being in that role. He’s got a really positive effect on everybody around him.”

Spraggins and Mays have combined for 49 starts as Tennessee’s veterans on the offensive line. They were both also voted Third Team All-SEC by the media in July.

Spraggins, the 6-foot-3, 325-pound senior out of East St. Louis, Ill., has started 26 of his 33 career games, including all 13 games last season at right guard. He’s been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times.

Cooper Mays out since Aug. 9 after undergoing ‘minor procedure’

Mays, the 6-foot-3, 305-pound senior from Knoxville, is preparing for his third straight season as Tennessee’s starting center. He’s started 23 times in 31 career games, has twice made the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was named All-SEC Third Team in the preseason a year ago.

Heupel after Tennessee’s first scrimmage earlier this month confirmed that Mays underwent “a minor procedure” on August 9.

“We’ve had multiple guys go at center,” Heupel said after Tennessee’s second scrimmage. “Like I said when I talked about Cooper (Mays) being out, all those guys handled it as far as the communication, once they got the play call, in a really positive way.

“I think our protection with the (first) group in particular has been pretty sound for the most part. And those guys gotta continue to grow. We’ll find out as we continue to finish up training camp where we’re at with who will run out there with the first group the first (game).”

Countdown to Kickoff: Vols vs. Virginia, Sept. 2, Noon ET, ABC

Tennessee opens the season September 2 against Virginia, a Noon Eastern Time kickoff (TV: ABC) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. The Vols open their home schedule on September 9 against Austin Peay at Neyland Stadium, a 5 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN+/SEC Network+.

The SEC schedule opens at Florida on September 16 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and UTSA comes to Knoxville on September 23. The SEC home schedule starts with South Carolina on September 30.

The bye week falls on October 7 and Texas A&M visits Neyland Stadium on October 14. Tennessee has back-to-back road games at Alabama (October 21) and Kentucky (October 28), hosts UConn for homecoming on November 4 and closes with a trip to Missouri (November 11) and home games with Georgia (November 18) and Vanderbilt (November 25).

The Vols in may opened as an early 28-point favorite against Virginia. Tennessee also opened as a 7.5-point favorite at Florida and the Vols are a 13-point favorite against South Carolina. Tennessee is a touchdown favorite against the Aggies according to the current DraftKing odds.