Tennessee Athletics
MOBILE, Ala. — The Reese’s Senior Bowl announced Wednesday morning that eight members of the Tennessee football program were named to the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List.
Doubling its total from last year’s Senior Bowl watch list, Tennessee’s eight selections include Jeremy Banks (linebacker), Jerome Carvin (offensive line), Princeton Fant (tight end), Trevon Flowers (defensive back), Hendon Hooker (quarterback), Cedric Tillman (wide receiver), Darnell Wright (offensive line) and Byron Young (defensive line/linebacker).
The Reese’s Senior Bowl is widely regarded as the preeminent college football all-star game and the first stage in the NFL Draft process. The longest continual-running all-star game has taken place in Mobile, Alabama, the past 73 years. More than 900 NFL personnel, including key decision-makers from all 32 teams, and more than 900 media members from around the country were credentialed last year. This past April, the game produced a record-tying 106 total picks for the second straight year, representing 40 percent of the entire NFL draft, including 45 of the top 100 players selected.
This year’s game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, at the University of South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium and will be broadcast on the NFL Network. Practices will be televised live on ESPN and the NFL Network will host a daily recap show each evening in primetime.
Tennessee has produced 131 Senior Bowl invitees dating back to 1951. Velus Jones Jr., Cade Mays and Alontae Taylor took part in the game in February, and all three former Vols went on to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Returning as one of the nation’s leading tacklers this year, Banks produced one of the best seasons by a linebacker in school history in 2021. He led the team, ranked second in the SEC and tied for the seventh in the nation with 128 total tackles (59 solo, 69 assisted). His 9.85 tackles per game were good for 12th in the nation, while his 128 total tackles were the most by a Vol since A.J. Johnson logged 138 in 2012.
A veteran, dominant offensive lineman for the Big Orange, Carvin started all 13 games in 2021 with seven coming at left guard, five at center and one at right guard. Per PFF College, the Memphis native did not allow a sack on 896 offensive snaps last year and has issued only one sack in his last three seasons combined entering 2022. Carvin was a key piece to Tennessee’s offensive unit that set program records for points scored (511), total offense (6,174 yards) and touchdowns (67) in its first year under Heupel.
Entering his sixth and final season on Rocky Top, Fant set single-season career highs in receptions (16), receiving yards (220) and yards per catch (13.8) last fall. The Nashville native has appeared in 33 career games for the Big Orange and has seen an uptick in production within Josh Heupel‘s offensive system. He capped the 2021 campaign with a career-high 71 receiving yards against Purdue in the Music City Bowl, including a career-long 58-yard catch and run that set up a game-tying TD late in the fourth quarter.
One of UT’s most experienced returning defensive players, Flowers elected to return for a fifth season after starting 12 games at safety in 2021. He finished the year ranking eighth among SEC defensive backs with a career-best 82 tackles, which ranked third on the team. The Atlanta native nabbed two interceptions and registered a career-high five passes defended during his senior season, ranking second and fifth on the squad.
A 2021 Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist, Hooker produced one of the most efficient seasons at quarterback in Tennessee history in his first year with the program last fall. The dynamic dual-threat signal caller racked up 3,565 yards of total offense, which ranked fourth in the SEC and fourth in UT single-season history. He shattered school records for passer efficiency rating (181.4) and completion percentage (68.0) and carries a streak of 12 consecutive games with a touchdown pass into 2022, which is the third-longest streak in school history. For the season, Hooker completed 206-of-303 passes for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns with three interceptions.
One of the top returning playmakers in all of college football, Tillman gears up for his redshirt senior campaign after a breakout season in 2021. In his first year within Heupel’s system, he led the Volunteer receiving corps with 64 catches for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns—ranking ninth, fifth and third in the SEC in those categories, respectively. He capped the year with four straight 100-yard receiving games and set the school record for consecutive games with a touchdown catch at seven, a streak that continues entering 2022.
UT’s most consistent presence on the offensive line last fall, Wright started all 13 games at left tackle and saw a team-high snap count of 922 on the season. His blocking contributed to a Tennessee offense that set program records for points scored (511), total offense (6,174 yards) and touchdowns (67).
In his first season at the FBS level, Young played 11 games with eight starts on the Tennessee defensive line and tied Banks for the team lead in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (11.5). He ranked second among UT linemen with 46 total tackles on the year and posted a TFL in six consecutive SEC contests before recording a season-high eight tackles, 2.5 TFLs and his first-career interception against Purdue at the TransPerfect Music City Bowl.
For the full Reese’s Senior Bowl preseason watch list and more event details, visit seniorbowl.com.