Tennessee Football will kick off its 2025 season against Syracuse in a non-conference matchup this Saturday afternoon from Atlanta, GA.
One interesting note that Tennessee fans might want to be on the lookout for is an impact player on the Orange’s side. While this isn’t a veteran player who has gone through the gauntlet of multiple football seasons, he is one of the more talented freshmen who is entering the college football scene this season. That would be defensive back and possible two-way player Demetres Samuel Jr., a 17-year-old freshman from Palm Bay, FL.
Samuel was ranked as a four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class and was listed as a Top 250 player in the class, according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. While that ranking is impressive, it doesn’t necessarily knock your socks off. That hasn’t stopped Samuel from emerging as one of the top impact freshmen in the country, according to multiple reports.
ESPN released its Week 1 College Football preview on Thursday and listed the top five freshmen to watch. Samuel was one of the five players on that list.
“A speedy tackler from Palm Bay, Florida, Samuel has legit two-way potential, and the Orange intends to make the most of it in 2025,” ESPN writes. “Syracuse coach Fran Brown announced earlier this month that Samuel will start at cornerback against Tennessee while also taking snaps at wide receiver, where the Orange are replacing their top two pass catchers from a year ago. With Travis Hunter in the NFL, Samuel stands as one of the most intriguing two-way talents across college football.”
With Brown’s statements that Samuel could be playing on both sides of the ball, combined with the Orange’s need to find a new offensive playmaker after a bevy of departures over the offseason, Samuel could be a name that Tennessee fans know well by the end of the game on Saturday.
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While on defense, Samuel will have the task of guarding Tennessee’s talented yet unproven receiving core. The Vols return Chris Brazzell Jr. on the outside, and will round out its likely starting trio with sophomore and former five-star prospect Mike Matthews and redshirt freshman Braylon Staley. We know what Brazzell can do based on last year’s performance, but Matthews and Staley have both drawn praise from the coaching staff for the work they’ve put in this summer with starting opportunities ahead this season.
On the offensive side of the ball, there’s no telling whether Samuel might be used as a true wide receiver or a bit of a gadget weapon for select occasions. The six-foot player was a track athlete at Heritage High School, so he has plenty of speed and athleticism to use on the field. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Syracuse really try to get the passing game going on Saturday, especially if they face an early deficit due to scoring drives from the Vols’ offense.
On3 Sports put out its Preseason True Freshman All-American Team earlier in the month, with Samuel making the cut at one of the five defensive back positions.
“Demetres Samuel Jr. could be one of the more unique true freshmen in college football this fall,” On3’s Charles Power wrote. “The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder could contribute on both sides of the ball, lining up as a cornerback and wide receiver. Even more, Samuel is doing that as a 17-year-old freshman, after reclassifying from the 2026 to 2025 cycle. Samuel’s combination of size, athleticism, and ball skills and advanced polish at his young age could make for one of the bigger stories among true freshmen.”
Tennessee has its own impact freshman on its side of the ball, too.
Enter offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., who was ranked as a Top 10 player in the same recruiting cycle as Samuel. Sanders was Tennessee’s highest-rated player in the 2025 class and routinely projected as a potential starter for the Volunteers due to the amount of turnover (four starting spots) that Tennessee had on its offensive line.
While Tennessee has not officially released a depth chart yet, Sanders looks poised to be the Vols’ starting right tackle when UT’s offense takes the field on Saturday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Since arriving on campus, Sanders has put on nearly 40 pounds to his frame. He’s been as active in the weight room as he has in the meeting room, trying to win a starting role for his first collegiate game.
“Yeah, I think one, just his body,” Tennessee OL coach Glen Elarbee said of Sanders’ offseason jumps during spring camp. “The guy has done an incredible job of putting on weight and getting to a place where he can function here in the SEC. Two, mentally, he spent as much time or more time than anybody reading, walking through, understanding there’s still way, way more to keep going. But where he was to where he is now, unreal and credit to him. And then just technique wise, it’s so rewarding when you see him change something on a pass set or change something in the run game, technique wise, and it works. And the light clicks and then you get to go and move on to the next thing. And he just consistently, every day, ticking off something and just keeps building and climbing. Done a great job.”
So, there you have it. Both Tennessee and Syracuse will be using an impact freshman on the field when they square off in the Aflac Kickoff Game this Saturday afternoon. We’ll see if either player can be a difference-maker as their teams look to begin the season with a victory.
