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Three Tennessee Football players make Pro Football Focus Top 101 ranking

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•02/09/25•

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Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy. Credit: UT Athletics
Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy. Credit: UT Athletics

Three Tennessee Football players made the ranking of the top 101 college football players this season from Pro Football Focus. James Pearce was the highest ranked of the three, coming in at No. 34, ahead of Jermod McCoy at No. 39 and Dylan Sampson at No. 43.

Colorado’s Travis Hunter topped the list after winning the Heisman Trophy after a season in which he was dominant on both sides of the ball, at corner back and wide receiver. 

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was ranked No. 2, ahead of Miami quarterback Cam Ward at No. 3, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo at No. 4 and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at No. 5.

The rest of the top 10 was Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron, Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

Pearce finished the season with a team-high 7.5 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss. He had 38.0 tackles on the season, 10 quarterback hits, a fumble recovery, a forced fumble and a pass broken up.

McCoy, the Oregon State transfer, was a breakout star for the Vols on defense, intercepting four passes and breaking up nine in total. He was third on the team with 44.0 tackles.

Sampson set new Tennessee single-season rushing records with 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns, carrying 258 times, averaging 114.7 yards per game and 5.8 yards per carry. 

Here’s what PFF wrote about Tennessee’s three standouts in the top 101 ranking: 

James Pearce, No. 34

PFF: “After breaking out as a sophomore with a 90.7 PFF grade last year, Pearce was similarly excellent as a junior. His 23.3% pressure rate led all FBS edge defenders while drastically improving as a run defender (84.2 run-defense grade in 2024 compared to 67.7 last year). He’s currently a top-10 prospect on PFF’s 2025 NFL Draft big board.”

Jermod McCoy, No. 39

PFF: “McCoy will likely be one of the top CB prospects heading into next year’s draft, as he is just a true sophomore. McCoy is a big strong corner who can hold his own against many of the top wide receivers, allowing only a 50% completion rate on the season. His production was elite this year, with six pass breakups and four interceptions to earn an 89.6 coverage grade that ranked in the top ten of all corners.”

Dylan Sampson, No. 43

PFF: “Sampson carried Tennessee’s offense all the way to the playoff. His hard-charging style led to him earning a 90.9 rushing grade, the seventh-best among FBS running backs. He also tied for the Power Four lead with 22 rushing touchdowns and broke 70 tackles along the way. Simply put, Sampson was one of the breakout stars of the 2024 season.”

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