Tennessee Football's DeSean Bishop Named to Massive List Filled With Elite Players

The Tennessee Volunteers running back is getting some national recognition.

Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Desean Bishop (18) speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers and head coach Josh Heupel are getting ready for their first matchup of the year against the Furman Paladins. But before that gets underway, ESPN decided to recognize their top 100 players of college football currently, and a Volunteer made the list.

Running back DeSean Bishop made ESPN's list and is getting some national recognition ahead of the season beginning real soon. Bishop was listed as the 70th-best player in college football in ESPN's rankings.

Bishop finished last season with 182 carries for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns. Those are quite the stats for a player who gets a lot of leeway in the Volunteers' offense under Heupel.

Bishop's usage and stats increased from the season before to last season. In 2024, Bishop only had 74 carries for 455 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Confidence is clearly there in Bishop, and the coaching staff clearly trusts him.

Bishop is an athlete that is going to prove a lot of people wrong as the season approaches and gets underway. He is going to be someone who sheds defenses and will do everything he can to get every yard that he can and find the end zone as much as he did in the previous season.

DeSean Bishop and Javin Gordon Could Be a Duo That Tops the SEC This Season

Sep 20, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive back Kapena Gushiken (14) attempts to tackle Tulane Green Wave running back Javin Gordon (23) during the second quarter at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Bishop is not the only running back on the roster who can do serious damage for the Volunteers this upcoming season. Volunteers fans should be excited about Tulane Green Wave transfer Javin Gordon and what he was able to do for them last season.

Gordon had 128 carries for 516 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Green Wave. For a team like Tulane that does not play a bunch of quality competition and putting up those stats says a lot about the player that Gordon is.

Gordon is going to be a guy who is going to do his best to complement Bishop and be that 1B for a Volunteer offense that could use it. Heupel and staff will likely play it running back by committee, as there are other guys wanting opportunities behind those two.

Bishop is likely going to get the majority of the carries for the offense, and knowing Gordon's one year at Tulane, he should get some runway as well. No matter what the coaching staff decides, the Tenneseee backfield should be lethal this season.