It would be insulting to call Tennessee a team of overachievers. They’re way too talented for that. However, there are some Vols playing key roles that one would have never expected would be surefire starters in college football, much less nationally noteworthy superstars.
Yes, Tennessee, like any other team will be defined by its most talented players, such as quarterback Nico Iamaleava and EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr., who were highly rated coming out of high school. I could name others, but let’s stay on topic.
If you’re a Tennessee fan and a subscriber of X, the social media once known as Twitter, you’ve seen this before. It’s pinned at the top of UT center Cooper Mays’ profile.
The post, which was originally made in in June of 2019, was made by Mays after college scouts questioned his size and ability before he signed with Tennessee. Now, Mays is considered one of the top centers in the nation. He’ll surely be first or second-team All-SEC and, most likely, an All-American, as evident by his latest accolade.
We all saw what happened to Tennessee when Mays wasn’t available to play last year against Florida. The Vols lost to the Gators in Gainesville despite being the better team. Those scouts that questioned Mays were either wrong or Mays has maximized his ability far beyond what anyone could have imagined. It’s probably a bit of both.
You have to credit former Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt for believing in Mays and offering him a scholarship when most SEC powerhouses weren’t willing to do so. Mays paid that off by being willing to play a number of positions before settling in at center and becoming one of the best in the nation at that position.
Then, there’s Will Brooks, the safety that just seems to be at the right place at the right time almost all the time. He’s still technically a walk-on, but has three interceptions this season, two of which changed the entire narrative of games when the native of Birmingham Ala. decided to take things into his own hands – literally. Now, he’s been named as one of the top walk-ons in the nation.
Brooks wasn’t a three-star prospect coming out of a high school. In fact, he’s the only player that I can remember having a huge impact at Tennessee with zero – yes, zero – stars on his recruiting profile. Brooks, if he were honest, probably showed up to Tennessee hoping for a little bit of playing time. Instead, he’s become the brains behind one of the best defensive backfields in college football.
No team can go to Georgia and win with a bunch of overachievers, which isn’t an accurate way to describe the Vols. Tennessee has talent. However, the Vols’ recent recruiting rankings would suggest they don’t have quite as much talent as a national power like Georgia. That won’t matter on Saturday in Athens at 7 p.m. EST when the Vols take on the Bulldogs in Sanford Stadium. The Vols have more than just talent, which is now comparable to what Georgia will put on the field.
Tennessee has players that have maximized their ability to the fullest extent, like Brooks and Mays. That, and the “more talented” players around them, will give the Vols more than just a fighting chance against Georgia. It could lead to the Vols beating the Bulldogs for the first time since 2016.
