Eight Tennessee football players landed on the three All-SEC Preseason Teams entering the 2022 football season.
Josh Heupel’s second Tennessee team landed one player on the first team, three players on the second team and four players on the third team.
Senior Byron Young was Tennessee’s lone first team selection landing as one of the four defensive linemen. Young tallied 5.5 sacks and 46 tackles in 11 games as a junior a season ago. The edge rusher missed the first two games of the season due to eligibility issues after transferring to Tennessee from junior college.
The South Carolina native got better-and-better as the season went on recording five sacks in the final five games.
Three Tennessee offensive players landed on the second team: Hendon Hooker, Cedric Tillman and Darnell Wright.
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Hooker beat out a number of quarterbacks including K.J. Jefferson, Will Levis and Will Rogers to land on the second team behind reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. Hooker threw for 2,945 yards, 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions a season ago.
Cedric Tillman is the leading returning receiver in the SEC but landed on the second team behind Alabama transfer Jermaine Burton and LSU receiver Kayshon Boutte. The redshirt-senior caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago.
Senior offensive lineman Darnell Wright is moving back to right tackle this offseason after a strong season protecting Hooker’s blindsight a year ago.
Center Cooper Mays, linebacker Jeremy Banks, safety Trevon Flowers and punter Paxton Brooks represented Tennessee on the third team.
Mays started eight games at center a season ago while battling injuries. Brooks averaged 44 yards per attempt while pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 18 times in 45 attempts a season ago.
Banks was one of the SEC’s top tacklers a season ago, totaling 128 tackles and tying for a team-high 5.5 sacks. Volunteer coaches praised Flowers this offseason after the safety totaled 82 tackles and two interceptions as a senior a season ago.
