Vols’ Pearce Jr., Mays voted Preseason First Team All-SEC

(WJHL) – The bright lights of 2024 SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas have finally dimmed – as a pair of Tennessee players received another honor ahead of the weekend.

Junior edge rusher, James Pearce Jr., and senior center, Cooper Mays, were both selected as First Team All-SEC selections by the league’s media this week.

The Vols were one of five teams in the conference with a First-Team performer on both sides of the ball, along with Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss.

Pearce is already on a number of NFL Draft boards for next season, after his ten sacks in the 2023 campaign. He’s racked up 16.5 tackles for a loss, an interception and two forced fumbles in his two seasons on Rocky Top.

Mays is a fifth-year player for the Big Orange, and a critical part of the offensive line. He’s allowed just four sacks in 2,075 career snaps for Tennessee.

The Vols are set to begin preseason camp on July 30, with the first practice coming on July 31.

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