Tennessee’s new offseason additions only add to the competition for Mike Ekeler’s special teams return unit this fall.
With former defensive back Dee Williams departed from the program, Tennessee has an open spot for both the kick return and punt return game this fall. Williams was responsible for 20-of-21 punt returns for Tennessee last year while also returning 12-of-15 of Tennessee’s total kick returns. Wide receiver Squirrel White was the only other player to return a punt last season while running back Cam Seldon took the other three kick returns.
So with 88 percent of Tennessee’s return production from last season out the door, competition has been high this fall to see which players earn the right to take over the vacant spots.
Ekeler detailed some of the players working as returners this fall, including familiar names such as White and Seldon with the addition of two of Tennessee’s newcomers.
Ekeler named White, Seldon, freshman defensive back Boo Carter, and transfer cornerback Jermod McCoy as players competing for the punt return job. On the kickoff side of things, Ekeler mentioned “a lot of the same guys in that group” as well as second-year running back DeSean Bishop.
“We’ve got some dynamic guys with the ball in their hands,” Ekeler said on Saturday. “And, you know, in the last three years we’ve given up 23 yards of punt returns and we’ve got right at 900. So our guys take great pride in this. And it’s going to be no different this year. This will be our best unit, period.”
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Squirrel White
Squirrel White is a clear-cut contender for Tennessee’s punt return man this season, as long as the Vols are content with putting their starting slot receiver back to field kicks. White has fielded at least one punt in each of his first two seasons at Tennessee and is known to be one of the fastest players on the Vols’ roster. As the backup to Dee Williams last season, White is a good candidate for Tennessee’s punt returner.
Cam Seldon
Cam Seldon fielded three kick returns for Tennessee last season with an average of 12 yards per return. The second-year running back has been limited throughout training camp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, but Josh Heupel did say on Monday that Seldon was “full go” for the end of camp. It’s unclear whether Seldon’s limitations during camp have moved him back in the pecking order, but the coaching staff’s trust in the speedy, physical returner as a freshman leads reason to believe that Seldon is a good candidate as the kick returner in his second year.
Boo Carter
Despite just being a freshman, Carter has impressed the coaching staff with his athletic abilities on the field. Carter was a highly-ranked athlete in the 2024 class but Tennessee opted to play the Tennessee native at defensive back despite some offensive experience in high school. Either way, Carter made a name for himself on the recruiting trail with the things he could do with the ball in his hands. Injuries could push Carter into an on-field DB role early into the season, but he also seems like a prime candidate for special teams work as a returner.
Jermod McCoy
While McCoy did not return any kicks during his freshman season at Oregon State, the transfer cornerback has been praised for his natural athleticism and vision on the field during fall camp. McCoy projects to be one of Tennessee’s starting cornerbacks this season and, if he wins the punt return job, could wind up staying on the field for an extra play each series as he returns the ball back to the offense.
DeSean Bishop
DeSean Bishop is one of the most trendy names from camp as he makes the most of opportunities in a banged-up running back room this fall. Bishop looks like he could wind up as a rotational running back in Josh Heupel’s offense, but the second-year tailback has just shown great athleticism on the field this fall from various reports. It’s no surprise that Tennessee is working Bishop out at the kick return position with his natural running traits.
