Four standout playmakers, including receiver Braylon Staley and tackle David Sanders Jr., are poised to dominate the 2026 season.
In spite of the ups and downs from the 2026 football campaign, there’s still some good that came out of the 13 games that can give Vols’ football fans a little extra faith in the roster at hand come the 2026 season.
While several players showed promise, four in particular stood out and are now set to play key roles next season, providing further momentum following the developments of the previous campaign.
WR Braylon Staley
One of the brightest spots of an up-and-down season was the emergence of freshman redshirt Braylon Staley, a wideout hailing from Aiken, South Carolina.
After the movement in the receiver room following the 2025 offseason, Staley was lined up for quite the workload.
As the season ended, Staley earned All-SEC Freshman honors with 68 receptions for 837 yards over 13 games.
Staley finished second on the team in total receiving yards, behind just Chris Brazzell II, who most recently declared for the NFL Draft.
LT David Sanders Jr.
David Sanders was one of the prized commitments from the Vols’ 2025 recruiting class. According to 247sports, he was ranked as the best high school player in the state of North Carolina and the No. 11 player in the class.
The five-star recruit made waves on the offensive line in just half a season of playing time for the Vols at the right tackle position. With 2026 on the horizon, Sanders moves over to the left tackle position.
Sanders' move, more likely than not, was one of the influences in driving former Vols’ left tackle Lance Heard into the transfer portal.
Just like his teammate Staley, Sanders Jr. earned All-SEC freshman team honors for the 2025 season.
RB DeSean Bishop
One of Knoxville, Tennessee’s own, running back DeSean Bishop finished up quite the 2025 campaign as he established himself as the main running back for the team.
He returns next season looking to build off an already promising start. During his sophomore season in 2025, Bishop posted 1,076 yards on the ground over 182 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
Bishop follows a line of successful running backs who have found success in the Josh Heupel offensive system, including Jaylen Wright and Dylan Sampson.
Bishop’s final four games of the season left an encouraging feeling for his next season. He posted 80 yards or more in each game while tallying seven total touchdowns. His highest rushing game of the season came against Arkansas when Bishop posted 146 yards on the ground.
TE Ethan Davis
Entering the 2025 season, sophomore Ethan Davis found himself playing behind tight end Miles Kitsleman for most of the season, before Kitsleman went down with an injury during the New Mexico State game.
Now, with Kitsleman graduating, Davis, is in line for the team’s tight end starting spot, and his finish to the season only encourages that thought.
In three of Davis’ four final games of the season, not including the bowl game, the tight end posted 62 yards or more. His biggest game came in the finale against Vanderbilt, where Davis tallied seven catches for 85 yards.
Standing at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Davis has the ideal frame for a starting tight end in the SEC, and after a great finish to the season, is poised to make an impact in the coming 2026 season.