Post-Draft Vols in the NFL Update: 39 VFLs, 10 ex-Vols, 8 Knox area players on NFL teams
By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players on expanded NFL rosters after the 2025 NFL Draft and reported undrafted free agent signings.
You’ll also see a list of players that were once at UT as well as other Knoxville area players that played at other schools.
I’ve included current projected depth chart positions according to Ourlads.com, a very accurate resource for NFL depth charts.
That’s all below now, and will be updated often, here on my blog “Vince’s View.”
Recent Transactions
OLB James Pearce Jr. drafted by the Atlanta Falcons (1st Rd #26 overall)
DT Omarr Norman-Lott drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs (2nd Rd #63 overall)
WR Dont’e Thornton drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders (4th Rd #108 overall)
RB Dylan Sampson drafted by the Cleveland Browns (4th Rd #126 overall)
DT Walter Nolen (local not UT) drafted by the Arizona Cardinals (1st Rd #16 overall)
DT Jordan Phillips (ex-Vol) drafted by the Miami Dolphins (5th Rd #143 overall)
DE Tyler Baron (ex-Vol) drafted by the New York Jets (5th Rd #176 overall)
DT Elijah Simmons signed as an undrafted free agent by the Arizona Cardinals
DT Omari Thomas signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints
DB Will Brooks signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs
DB Doneiko Slaughter (ex-Vol) signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars
RB Elijah Young (local not UT) signed as an undrafted free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs
DT Da’Jon Terry (ex-Vol) signed as an undrafted free agent by the Los Angeles Rams
Tennessee Volunteers In The NFL as of 4/28/25 (39)
x = rookie
AFC East (3)
WR – Joshua Palmer (5) Buffalo Bills (starter)
RB – Jaylen Wright (25) Miami Dolphins (2nd team)
QB – Joshua Dobbs (11) New England Patriots (2nd team)
NONE – New York Jets
AFC North (3)
WR – Cedric Tillman (19) Cleveland Browns (starter)
RB – Dylan Sampson (–) Cleveland Browns (3rd team)-x
RB – Cordarrelle Patterson (84) Pittsburgh Steelers (4th team RB/2nd team KR)
NONE – Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals
AFC South (7)
DE – Derek Barnett (95) Houston Texans (2nd team RDE)
DE – Darrell Taylor (52) Houston Texans (2nd team LDE)
OL – Jerome Carvin (62) Houston Texans (3rd team C)
FB – Jakob Johnson (45) Houston Texans (2nd team)
LS – Morgan Cox (46) Tennessee Titans (LS)
RB – Jabari Small (31) Tennessee Titans (5th team)
CB – Gabe Jeudy-Lally (32) Tennessee Titans (3rd team LCB)
NONE – Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC West (6)
OG – Trey Smith (65) Kansas City Chiefs (starting RG)
DT – Omarr Norman-Lott (–) Kansas City Chiefs (2nd team RDT)-x
S – Will Brooks (–) Kansas City Chiefs (–)-x
DT – Matthew Butler (91) Las Vegas Raiders (4th team LDT)
WR – Dont’e Thornton Jr. (–) Las Vegas Raiders (2nd team)-x
TE – McCallan Castles (46) Los Angeles Chargers (5th team)
NONE – Denver Broncos
NFC East (4)
QB – Joe Milton III (10) Dallas Cowboys (2nd team)
TE – Princeton Fant (85) Dallas Cowboys (5th team)
WR – Jalin Hyatt (13) New York Giants (2nd team)
CB – Dee Williams (33) New York Giants (3rd team NB/2nd team PR/3rd team KR)
NONE – Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders
NFC North (4)
OT – Darnell Wright (58) Chicago Bears (starting RT)
QB – Hendon Hooker (2) Detroit Lions (2nd team)
CB – Kamal Hadden (36) Green Bay Packers (3rd team NB)
S – Theo Jackson (26) Minnesota Vikings (2nd team FS)
NONE
NFC South (8)
OLB – James Pearce Jr. (–) Atlanta Falcons (starting ROLB)-x
DT – Shy Tuttle (99) Carolina Panthers (2nd team NT)
OG – Cade Mays (64) Carolina Panthers (2nd team C)
RB – Alvin Kamara (41) New Orleans Saints (starter)
CB – Alontae Taylor (1) New Orleans Saints (starting NB)
RB – Velus Jones Jr. (–) New Orleans Saints (7th team)
DT – Omari Thomas (–) New Orleans Saints (4th team)-x
WR – Marquez Callaway (85) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4th team)
NONE
NFC West (4)
DT – Elijah Simmons (–) Arizona Cardinals (4th team NT)-x
OLB – Byron Young (0) Los Angeles Rams (starting LOLB)
S – Jaylen McCullough (39) Los Angeles Rams (2nd team SS)
WR – Jauan Jennings (15) San Francisco 49ers (starter)
NONE – Seattle Seahawks
Ex-Vols That Transferred To Other Schools On NFL Rosters (10)
LB – Henry To’o to’o (39) Houston Texans (Alabama) (starting WLB)
P – Tommy Townsend (6) Houston Texans (Florida) (P/H)
DB – Doneiko Slaughter (–) Jacksonville Jaguars (4th team NB)-x
OT – Wanya Morris (64) Kansas City Chiefs (Oklahoma) (2nd team RT)
DT – Da’Jon Terry (–) Los Angeles Rams (Oklahoma) (4th team NT)-x
DE – Jordan Phillips (–) Miami Dolphins (Maryland) (2nd team LDE)-x
RB – Ty Chandler (32) Minnesota Vikings (North Carolina) (3rd team RB/2nd team KR)
RB – Eric Gray (20) New York Giants (Oklahoma) (4th team)
DE – Tyler Baron (–) New York Jets (Miami) (3rd team LDE)-x
WR – Brandon Johnson (89) Pittsburgh Steelers (UCF) (3rd team)
Knoxville Area Players That Didn’t Play at UT on NFL Rosters (8)
NT – Walter Nolen (–) Arizona Cardinals (Powell HS/Ole Miss) (2nd team LDE)-x
WR – Tee Higgins (5) Cincinnati Bengals (Oak Ridge HS/Clemson) (starter)
TE – Nate Adkins (45) Denver Broncos (Bearden HS/ETSU/South Carolina) (3rd team TE)
QB – Trevor Lawrence (16) Jacksonville Jaguars (Born in Knoxville/Clemson) (starter)
RB – Elijah Young (–) Kansas City Chiefs (South Doyle HS/Western Kentucky) (–)-x
S – Harrison Smith (22) Minnesota Vikings (Catholic HS/Notre Dame) (starting FS)
OG – Cole Strange (69) New England Patriots (Farragut HS/Chattanooga) (starting LG)
LB – Devin Harper (40) Pittsburgh Steelers (Karns HS/Oklahoma St.) (4th team RILB)
*Note: Cade Mays (Knox Catholic) & Tyler Baron (Knox Catholic) listed above in other sections also went to high school in the Knoxville area
Free Agents – VFLs, Ex-Vols & Knoxville Area Players
WR – Ramel Keyton
CB – Emmanuel Moseley
WLB – Jalen Reeves-Maybin
FS – Micah Abernathy
DT – Kendal Vickers
P – Michael Palardy
WR – Bru McCoy (undrafted rookie)
WR – Cooper Mays (undrafted rookie)
OL – Javontez Spraggins (undrafted rookie)
OL – Nate Gilliam (Farragut HS/Wake Forest)
QB – Nathan Peterman (Tennessee/Pittsburgh)
Notes
*39 VFLs in the NFL
*Houston Texans & New Orleans Saints currently have the most Vols with 4 each
*7 VFL rookies total (4 draft picks & 3 undrafted free agents)
*23 of 32 teams have a VFL on their rosters
*19 VFLs in the AFC
*20 VFLs in the NFC
*9 VFLs are listed as starters on projected depth charts
*10 ex-Vols that finished college at others schools currently with NFL teams
*8 Knoxville-area players that did not attend UT currently with NFL teams
The Athletic Ranks Tennessee Basketball No. 1 in the Nation
Tennessee’s basketball team is off to a hot start.
The Vols have a 2-0 record with wins over Tennessee Tech and Wisconsin.
The Vols’ 80-70 win at Wisconsin on Friday night offered an early resume boost for Tennessee, which also beat highly-ranked Michigan State in East Lansing in a preseason exhibition game.
One big reason for the early success has been Dalton Knecht, a wing transfer from Northern Colorado.
Knecht scored 24 points against Wisconsin and is averaging 20.5 points through the first two games. (He also scored 28 points against Michigan State.)
Knecht’s impact and the Vols’ returning talent caused CJ Moore of The Athletic to rank Tennessee No. 1 in the country after the first week of the season.
“I’m running for president of the Dalton Knecht fan club,” Moore wrote.” He is the All-American no one saw coming. We had Knecht at No. 44 in our transfer portal rankings, so it wasn’t like he was completely off the radar.
“But Knecht was on a losing team and a second-team All-Big Sky selection last year at Northern Colorado. Second team! If we had a do-over on the transfer rankings, I’d have him neck and neck with Hunter Dickinson (of Kansas) for the top spot. (Knecht is) that good.”
Moore, who predicted Knecht will go in the first round of the upcoming NBA Draft, is just the latest national media member to sing the praises of Tennessee (and Knecht).
Last week, ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg picked Tennessee as his national champion.
“They’ve got great depth,” Greenberg said on ESPN. “They’re playing with much greater flow. They’re playing in transition. They have more shot-makers. You know they’re going to defend. I think Tennessee makes a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.”
Long-time college hoops writer Andy Katz also ranked Tennessee No. 1 in his updated power rankings on Monday.
All of this came after Michigan State coach Tom Izzo called Tennessee a Final Four team following the Spartans’ exhibition game against Tennessee.
It’s very early in the college basketball season. Tennessee has a lot more to prove beyond one or two weeks of basketball.
The Vols will have a chance to showcase themselves further next week when they play in a loaded Maui Invitational in Honolulu.
But there’s no denying the hype surrounding Tennessee’s basketball team.
It’s only getting started.
Vince’s View: Watch Tennessee celebrate 33-27 win at Kentucky
Here’s some on-field video I shot of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrating it’s road win at Kroger Field in Lexington over the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday night 33-27.
WATCH: Postgame Reaction – Tennessee 33 Kentucky 27
By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports (on X/Facebook/IG/YouTube)
I broke down Tennessee’s 33-27 road win at the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday night in Lexington from down on the field at Kroger Field in the video below.
Dee Williams’ Chance to Help Tennessee’s Offense
Have you watched a Tennessee game over the past two seasons and at some point said, “Why don’t they put Dee Williams on offense?”
If so, Josh Heupel might be ready to use your entry in the suggestion box.
Austin Price of Volquest told us this week he expects Williams, who has practiced in the secondary, to get a look on offense.
Swain’s ears popped up when Austin mentioned the idea.
“It just makes sense,” Swain said of Williams playing offense.
It’s not as easy as telling Williams to go line up in the slot, catch the ball, and run.
For one, catching the ball on offense is different than fielding a kick or punt.
Also, Tennessee’s offense runs on tempo.
Williams has to prepare to run several plays in a row.
He could sub in and out, of course, but that’s not Tennessee’s style.
But there’s no denying this: Williams is electric with the ball.
Imagine him on the field with Dylan Sampson and/or Squirrel White.
How do you think an opposing defensive coordinator would like that?
Tennessee’s offense has a good amount of playmakers.
The Vols’ offense also needs to find new ways to hit big plays.
Could Williams help in that area?
We might soon find out.
This blog originated in the weekly Josh and Swain Newsletter. Click Here to subscribe for FREE.
Check out the Josh and Swain podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. Including:
Apple: http://apple.co/3On3KbH
Spotify: http://spoti.fi/3QShehy
What it Really Means to Wear the T
Most of the conversation this week centered on Tennessee’s loss at Florida and how the Vols can get back on track.
Thursday’s Josh and Swain went in a different direction during the first segment in our third hour.
A listener stopped by while we were at SmartBank in Alcoa.
She asked if we could mention her papaw, a long-time Tennessee fan and listener of The Sports Animal.
We were happy to do it, which led to a longer discussion about the connection between Tennessee football and its fanbase.
Jayson Swain provided a great perspective on his experience as a player at UT and what he’s learned about the importance of Tennessee football since his playing career ended.
“I get a chance to experience and hear all these stories and how much Tennessee means to fans,” Swain said. “It’s really powerful.”
Check out the full segment below. I think you’ll enjoy it.
WATCH: NFL Network Reporter Steve Wyche talks 2020 season
By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
I had a chance recently to visit with terrific NFL Network Reporter Steve Wyche @Wyche89 to discuss the 2020 season. This interview aired on SportsTalk with John and Jimmy on 99.1 The Sports Animal a few weeks back.
Even though a few of the items (like the Alvin Kamara contract) have played out since our conversation, I thought the interview was too good and fun to not share via video as well.
Steve and Jim Trotter co-host the recently debuted Huddle and Flow podcast that you should check out as well.
Look for plenty more video interviews, predictions and analysis from me throughout the football season on my blog page.
SEC players make up 20% of NFL season opening rosters, all the numbers
By Vince Ferrara / @VinceSports
As so many of us are excited about the start of the 2019 NFL season, I decided to take a deep dive into the SEC players that are active and inactive in the NFL as the season approaches and the rosters are down to 53.
These numbers are based on publicly released NFL rosters and daily transitions via NFL Communications. These numbers are through today, Thursday, September 5th and will change often daily.
At the moment, there are 340 players from SEC schools among the 1,696 on 53-player roster spots in the NFL. That’s 20% of the players in the league played in the Southeastern Conference. There are an additional 83 players with NFL teams that are inactive beyond the current 53-player rosters.
SEC Players In NFL By School On 53-player rosters (340)
1. Alabama 56
2. LSU 35
2. Florida 35
4. Georgia 30
5. Texas A&M 27
6. Auburn 26
7. Tennessee 24
8. South Carolina 23
9. Mississippi St 20
9. Ole Miss 20
11. Arkansas 12
12. Missouri 11
12. Kentucky 11
14. Vanderbilt 10
SEC Players Inactive In NFL (83)
LSU 11
Tennessee 10
Florida 7
Mississippi St 7
Missouri 7
Alabama 6
Arkansas 6
Auburn 5
Texas A&M 5
Georgia 5
Vanderbilt 4
Ole Miss 4
Kentucky 4
South Carolina 2
SEC Players By NFL Team (53-roster only/does not count inactives)
Jacksonville (17)
Chicago (15)
Washington (15)
New England (14)
Carolina (14)
Tampa Bay (14)
Houston (13)
Cleveland (13)
NY Giants (13)
Pittsburgh (13)
Cincinnati (12)
Miami (12)
Green Bay (11)
Baltimore (11)
Detroit (11)
Kansas City (11)
New Orleans (10)
Buffalo (10)
Atlanta (10)
Arizona (10)
LA Chargers (9)
NY Jets (9)
Oakland (9)
Seattle (9)
Tennessee (8)
Indianapolis (8)
Philadelphia (7)
San Francisco (7)
Denver (7)
Minnesota (6)
LA Rams (6)
Dallas (6)
Most Players From SEC Schools On One NFL Team (Active)
Baltimore – 6 (Alabama)
Washington – 6 (Alabama)
Washington – 4 (Florida)
Pittsburgh – 4 (Tennessee)
Green Bay – 4 (Miss State)
Chicago – 4 (Georgia)
Cincinnati – 4 (Georgia)
Most SEC Inactive Players
New England – 7
Fewest SEC Inactive Players
Baltimore – 0
Pittsburgh – 0
Most SEC Schools On One Roster
Jacksonville – 10
Houston – 10
Find more of my broadcasting work at VinceSports.net
Vince Ferrara Blog
Here’s an updated list of University of Tennessee players on expanded NFL rosters after the 2025 NFL Draft and reported undrafted free agent signings.… MORE
Here’s some on-field video I shot of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrating it’s road win at Kroger Field in Lexington over the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday night 33-27.… MORE
I broke down Tennessee’s 33-27 road win at the Kentucky Wildcats Saturday night in Lexington from down on the field at Kroger Field in the video below.… MORE
We talked the NFL’s handling of covid-19, Kamara, Fournette, the NFC West & Titans… MORE
See where UT ranks among SEC teams in the NFL & Vols have plenty of inactives… MORE
Josh Ward Blog
Dalton Knecht and Tennessee basketball are getting some major pub.… MORE
