Tennessee's most accomplished player and most intriguing player will not attend 2025 SEC media days. But here's who will be there for the Vols.
Tennessee's most accomplished player, cornerback Jermod McCoy, and its most intriguing player, quarterback Joey Aguilar, will not attend 2025 SEC football media days.
Neither omission is surprising but for very different reasons.
Instead, tight end Miles Kitselman, defensive lineman Bryson Eason and linebacker Arion Carter will represent Tennessee alongside coach Josh Heupel at SEC football media days in Atlanta. Their selections also reveal quite a bit.
The SEC announced player representatives for the event, which is slated for July 14-17 at the College Football Hall of Fame and Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park. The Vols will appear on July 15 on SEC Network.
Heupel, consulting with UT media relations staff, chose the player representatives.
Here’s why UT chose specific players over others for 2025 SEC football media days.
Why Jermod McCoy won’t be at 2025 SEC media days
McCoy, a 2024 All-America selection, is UT’s best returning player and among the elite cornerbacks in college football.
But McCoy suffered a torn ACL and underwent surgery in January. The Vols hope he can return to full strength in the 2025 season, perhaps early in the schedule.
But that uncertainty led UT to scratch McCoy as a possible representative at media days. If he were healthy, McCoy would be a no-brainer for the event.
Heupel hasn’t provided an update on McCoy’s status since spring practice. But he’ll be asked at media days.
Why Joey Aguilar won’t be at 2025 SEC media days
Aguilar, a former Appalachian State standout, transferred from UCLA to UT after quarterback Nico Iamaleava left the Vols for UCLA in April.
If Aguilar had already earned UT’s starting quarterback spot, perhaps he’d go to media days. But he’ll compete with redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and freshman George MacIntyre for the QB1 role.
Expect all three quarterbacks to speak at UT’s on-campus media day on July 29. But they won’t attend the SEC event.
However, Heupel will field several questions about the quarterback competition.
How Nico Iamaleava impacted Miles Kitselman’s selection
When Iamaleava abruptly left UT over a dispute about NIL pay, Kitselman stepped forward as a vocal leader on the team. He told teammates and the media that the Vols would move on and not look back.
“Man, we’re good with whoever we have back there at quarterback,” Kitselman said on April 12 after Iamaleava didn't attend practice or the spring game. “We’ve got guys that want to be here. We’ve got guys that want to give their all.”
Since then, Kitselman has taken the lead in team meetings and workouts.
Kitselman played two seasons at Alabama before transferring to UT in 2024. That adds an interesting layer to his appearance at media days.
Why Arion Carter’s attendance is good news for Vols
Carter sat out spring practice to rehabilitate an injury suffered in the 2024 season. If it were serious, he’d be scratched from media days like McCoy.
Carter’s attendance indicates he’s recovered and ready for the season. The Vols need him healthy because Carter has All-SEC potential. He led the team with 68 tackles last season.
Carter also is UT’s player representative on the SEC football leadership council, which met with Commissioner Greg Sankey in Birmingham in February.
How experienced is Bryson Eason? He played for Jeremy Pruitt
Eason is one of only two UT players who started their career during the Jeremy Pruitt coaching era. Defensive end Dominic Bailey is the other.
That indicates Eason’s extensive experience. He is 23 years old and a sixth-year senior.
He played six games under Pruitt in 2020 and was granted an additional year of eligibility due to a COVID exemption. He took a redshirt in 2021 under Heupel because he played only three games that season.
This will be Eason’s third season as a starter. He has played 48 games with 21 starts.
Eason also has an infectious personality, making him an obvious choice for media days.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Joey Aguilar, Jermod McCoy not attending SEC media days for Tennessee football
Category: General Sports
