🏈 Fall (camp) is here!

Hello. This is the Josh and Swain Newsletter, a quick roundup of the week’s top stories and topics involving Tennessee and the sports world.

Here’s what we have for you today:

• Tennessee’s most interesting positions to watch early in fall camp

• Why Nico Iamaleava is excited to play on the road this season

• The Vols are ROLLING in recruiting… with more commits expected

• Tennessee in the playoff… the good and bad that comes with it

THE VOLS ARE BACK (AT PRACTICE)

August is here, which means we’ve reached a month that will feature college football games. 

Tennessee began fall practice this week to prepare for the start of the season — with the opener against UT Chattanooga on Aug. 31.

Tennessee’s team has a ton of storylines. 

The Vols’ depth has been covered; coach Josh Heupel has made it clear this is the deepest and best roster he’s had at Tennessee. 

That depth brings more internal competition during practice. 

And UT’s coaches still have to figure which players they believe they can count on in the fall.

Which position groups are most intriguing at the start of fall camp?  

Let’s take a look. 

Wide Receiver

There’s no hiding from it: the receivers had a down season last year. 

No one came close to replacing Jalin Hyatt’s production from 2022. 

The group struggled to make big plays. 

Bru McCoy’s injury didn’t help, either. 

Now, McCoy is back. 

UT will be cautious with him during fall camp, but he’s expected to start the opener. 

Who else will start with him?

Chris Brazzell, the talented Tulane transfer, is a candidate. 

So is Squirrel White, who led Tennessee with 803 receiving yards last season.

There’s also Chad Nimrod, who could challenge White in the slot or help on the outside. 

“Chas Nimrod is a name you guys need to know,” Jayson Swain said on our show. “He’s not getting a lot of talk, but you’re hearing me say it. … You’ve heard me say it for the last several weeks: I really like his game.”

There’s also the question of how many receivers will play in a normal rotation. 

Highly-touted freshman Mike Matthews has been limited to start fall camp.

Can he push for immediate playing time?

The receiver group is loaded with storylines. 

 Running Back

We know Dylan Sampson is the starter. 

But who’s RB2?

Austin Price of Volquest said Wednesday he thinks DeSean Bishop has a chance to be that guy when the season begins. 

The former Karns High School standout has impressed coaches in practice. 

Can he hold off freshman Peyton Lewis, who has big-time speed but limited time on campus?

Tennessee will wait to see when Cam Seldon is back to 100 percent. 

He’s practicing in a non-contact jersey as UT’s coaches hope to have him back early in the season. 

Meanwhile, Bishop, Lewis, and Khalifa Keith will battle for playing time behind Sampson. 

Offensive Line (on the left side)

Three of Tennessee’s offensive line positions have zero questions:

◼️ Center Cooper Mays
◼️ Right Guard Javontez Spraggins
◼️ Right tackle John Campbell Jr. 

Left tackle shouldn’t be a question; that’s LSU transfer Lance Heard’s spot. 

But he still has to prove what he can do — and he’s been limited at the start of camp. 

Left guard is totally up for grabs. 

The left side of the line won’t generate a ton of talk during the month of August. 

But it will be important to watch when the season begins. 

Safety

Andre Turrentine appears locked in at one of the starting safety positions. 

Who else will line up in the back end?

Defensive coordinator Tim Banks called Christian Charles the defense’s “X-factor” this week. 

Should we be talking more about Charles, who’s played a few secondary positions but has dealt with injuries at UT?

What about Middle Tennessee transfer Jakobe Thomas or veteran Will Brooks?

Tennessee has several options at safety (and throughout the defensive backfield).

The Vols need someone to emerge — and to make big plays when he does.

ICEMAN 2.0?

We discussed Tennessee’s September schedule this week on the show. 

📅 Sept. 7 vs NC State on a neutral field 
📅 Sept. 21 at Oklahoma 

Could playing those games away from home be a big challenge for Nico Iamaleava, who’s talented but still inexperienced?

Maybe. 

But Swain pointed out the distractions that come with playing at home and how Iamaleava’s composure should help when he’s on the road. 

Then at UT Media Day, Iamaleava was asked his preference of playing at home or on the road.

Iamaleava’s answer:

Nico’s answer brought out the Iceman comparisons. 

Casey Clausen was great on the road when he played at Tennessee. 

He went 2-0 at Florida and 14-1 overall as a starter on the road. 

Who can forget his completion on 4th and 19 at Alabama in 2003?

It’s too early to say Iamaleava is Iceman 2.0. 

Let’s see Nico win at least ONE big road game before we do that. 

But if he can bring the same “California cool” approach, perhaps that will help the road woes Tennessee has experienced the last two seasons. 

Iamaleava sounds ready to prove it.

SPORTS NUGGETS

🏈 Heather Dinich wrote about 30 CFB Playoff contenders. Check out her profile on Tennessee and the Vols’ chances of making the playoff this year.

🏈 “Football is back. It’s the year of the Wolfpack.” NC State (UT’s week 2 opponent) is confident entering the season.

🏈 See where Tennessee ranks in the CBS Sports preseason poll.

🏈 Titans wide receiver De’Andre Hopkins suffered a knee injury, which could keep him out for 4-6 weeks.

🏀 The Kentucky and Louisville alums had an eventful matchup in the The Basketball Tournament this past week. Should Tennessee make a return to the TBT next summer?

⚾ Tony Vitello has been busy adding to his baseball staff this week. Some familiar faces are returning to the program.

🥇 It was a historic day for Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky, two of the great all-time Olympians.

RECRUITS KEEP ROLLING IN

Another week, another big recruiting haul for Tennessee. 

The Vols have added three commitments since last week’s newsletter:

✅ 4-star defensive back Shaedy Hayward
✅ 4-star tight end Da’Saahn Brame
✅ 3-star defensive lineman Darrion Smith

And Tennessee isn’t done. 

Five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon from the 2026 class will announce his commitment on Saturday. 

Its Tennessee vs. Alabama for Brandon, who’s ranked as the nation’s top quarterback in next year’s class.

And the Vols feel good entering the announcement. 

Tennessee has to like its chances with 2026 four-star tight end Carson Sneed, who will announce his commitment on Monday.

Brandon and Sneed won’t make it to Knoxville for more than a year, but adding two more high-profile players would further elevate Tennessee’s recruiting profile. 

And that’s the big story right now. 

Tennessee has it rolling in recruiting. 

The Vols have taken advantage of their resources and NIL rule changes — and the results with the 2025 class are the reward. 

The Vols hope David Sanders Jr. will be the big prize. 

The five-star left tackle visited Nebraska and Tennessee again last weekend. 

With two-plus weeks to go until his Aug. 17 commitment, Tennessee looks like the team to beat ahead of the Cornhuskers and Ohio State.

Nothing is official with Sanders — or any of this class since they can’t sign until December — but Tennessee has to love the position it’s in.

The good times keep rolling for Tennessee. 

Check out our full recruiting conversation with Austin Price below.

ANOTHER PICK FOR TENNESSEE

The latest College Football Playoff projection came from JD Pickell at On3. 

And Pickell has the Vols making the playoff. 

Here is his projection:

That comes with some good and bad. 

➕ The good is obvious: the Vols are in the playoff.
❌ The bad: having to go to Columbus to take on Ohio State. 

That would not be a favorable draw. 

Could Tennessee win it? Sure. 

If the Vols are in the playoff, their offense and overall talent should give them a shot against anyone. 

But this projection offers a reminder why getting a higher seed in the playoff will matter. 

Still, Pickell is the latest to show love to Tennessee, despite the media picking the Vols to finish seventh in the SEC. 

Tennessee’s playoff chances are real.

That September schedule remains the first big obstacle to see how real they are entering October.

➡️ Side note: Something else to consider in the above projection is the seeding of the No. 1 and 5 teams.

The No. 1 seed Georgia gets a first-round bye. Every team will want that option. 

But projecting toward the second round, Georgia would play the winner of Texas-Notre Dame. 

Let’s say in the first round that Texas beats Notre Dame and Ole Miss wins at home against Appalachian State. 

The second-round matchups on a neutral field:

• 1 Georgia vs 8 Texas 
• 5 Ole Miss vs 4 Utah

Ole Miss gets a better second-round draw than the No. 1 seed. 

Yes, Ole Miss would have to make sure it wins in the first round. 

But it would have an obvious advantage in trying to do so — being at home against a Group of 5 team. 

It’s something to consider ahead of the first 12-team playoff. 

Don’t be surprised if arguments about reseeding in the second round come up later this year. 

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