The NFL season officially begins on Thursday night as Trey Smith’s Kansas City Chiefs take on the Baltimore Ravens in prime-time football.
Smith, a former two-time All-SEC offensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion, is one of 37 former Tennessee players with an NFL organization ahead of the 2024 season.
Twenty-six of Tennessee’s 37 players are on active rosters heading into the season, with nine players on NFL practice squads and two on the league’s injured reserve list.
Of the 37 players, nine are entering the first year in the league including McCallan Castles, Kamal Hadden, Gabe Jeudy-Lally, Ramel Keyton, Jaylen McCollough, Joe Milton III, Jabari Small, Dee Williams, and Jaylen Wright. Tennessee’s Wright, Milton, and Hadden were the only three to be selected through the NFL Draft.
Two former Vols are in double-digit territory when it comes to years in the league. Titans long snapper Morgan Cox is the Vols’ eldest veteran entering his 15th year in the league while Steelers running back Cordarelle Patterson is entering his 12th season.
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Here’s how Tennessee’s 37 NFL players shake out here (via UT Athletics Communications):
Active Players
| Player | Years at UT | NFL Team | Position |
| Micah Abernathy | 2015-2018 | Falcons | S |
| Derek Barnett | 2014-2016 | Texans | DE |
| Morgan Cox | 2005-2009 | Titans | LS |
| Joshua Dobbs | 2013-2016 | 49ers | QB |
| Hendon Hooker | 2021-2022 | Lions | QB |
| Jalin Hyatt | 2020-2022 | Giants | WR |
| Theo Jackson | 2017-2021 | Vikings | DB |
| Jauan Jennings | 2015-2019 | 49ers | WR |
| Velus Jones Jr. | 2019-2021 | Bears | RB |
| Alvin Kamara | 2015-2016 | Saints | RB |
| Ramel Keyton | 2019-2023 | Raiders | WR |
| Jaylen McCollough | 2019-2023 | Rams | DB |
| Joe Milton III | 2021-2023 | Patriots | QB |
| Josh Palmer | 2017-2020 | Chargers | WR |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 2012 | Steelers | RB |
| Jalen Reeves-Maybin | 2013-2016 | Lions | LB |
| Trey Smith | 2017-2020 | Chiefs | OG |
| Cameron Sutton | 2013-2016 | Steelers | CB |
| Alontae Taylor | 2018-2021 | Saints | CB |
| Darrell Taylor | 2015-2019 | Seahawks | OLB |
| Cedric Tillman | 2018-2022 | Browns | WR |
| Shy Tuttle | 2015-2018 | Panthers | DT |
| Dee Williams | 2022-2023 | Seahawks | RS |
| Darnell Wright | 2019-2022 | Bears | OT |
| Jaylen Wright | 2021-2023 | Dolphins | RB |
| Byron Young | 2021-2022 | Rams | OLB |
NFL Practice Squad Players
| Player | Years at UT | NFL Team | Position |
| Matthew Butler | 2017-2021 | Raiders | DT |
| Jerome Carvin | 2018-2022 | Patriots | OL |
| Princeton Fant | 2017-2022 | Cowboys | TE |
| Kamal Hadden | 2021-2023 | Packers | DB |
| Gabe Jeudy-Lally | 2023 | Titans | DB |
| Jakob Johnson | 2014-2017 | Giants | FB |
| John Kelly Jr. | 2015-2017 | Ravens | RB |
| Jabari Small | 2020-2023 | Titans | RB |
| Kendal Vickers | 2013-2017 | Saints | DT |
Injured Reserve
| Player | Years at UT | NFL Team | Position |
| McCallan Castles | 2023 | Eagles | TE |
| Emmanuel Moseley |
2014-2017 | Lions | CB |
