Tennessee football saw two players picked to the Walter Camp Football Preseason First-Team All-American squad on Monday. Longtime starting center Cooper Mays made the offensive side while star edge rusher and potential No. 1 overall pick James Pearce made the defensive side.
50 players from 31 different schools are represented on the @WalterCampFF 2024 Preseason FBS All-America teams https://t.co/fknm8fMyYF pic.twitter.com/P4emhhW0Po
— Walter Camp Football (@WalterCampFF) July 1, 2024
Mays, who is entering his fifth season with Tennessee, will once again anchor the offensive line in 2024. The former four-star prospect has been a mainstay on the Tennessee offensive line since arriving on campus as a freshman, then playing along side of his brother Cade.
Pearce is coming off of a breakout season as a true sophomore. The former five-star prospect put up ten sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss, quickly appearing on the NFL’s radar for the 2025 NFL Draft. At 6-5, 242 pounds, Pearce has everything you could possibly want out of an edge rusher. Expect Pearce to take another step forward this fall as the top threat on the Tennessee defense.
Walter Camp First Team Offense
Wide Receiver: Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona), Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State)
Tight End: Colston Loveland (Michigan)
Offensive Line: Clay Webb (Jacksonville State), Tate Ratledge (Georgia), Tyler Booker (Alabama), Will Campbell (LSU)
Center: Cooper Mays (Tennessee)
Quarterback: Carson Beck (Georgia)
Running Back: Ollie Gordon II (Oklahoma State), Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
Placekicker: Graham Nicholson (Alabama)
Walter Camp First Team Defense
Defensive Line: James Pearce, Jr. (Tennessee), Howard Cross III (Notre Dame), Ashton Gillotte (Louisville), Tyleik Williams (Ohio State)
Linebacker: Jay Higgins (Iowa), Danny Stutsman (Oklahoma), Jason Henderson (Old Dominion)
Defensive Back: Xavier Watts (Notre Dame), Travis Hunter Jr. (Colorado), Malaki Starks (Georgia), Will Johnson (Michigan)
Punter: Alex Mastromanno (Florida State)
Kick Returner: Zachariah Branch (USC)