Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop was expected to take a big step forward with the departure of Dylan Sampson to the National Football League over the offseason. He exceeded those expectations with a huge performance in the Vols’ opening game last week in Atlanta.
After a showing that saw him reach 7.5 yards per carry on 11 attempts, Bishop tallied the highest Pro Football Focus game grade among all running backs from the Southeastern Conference in Week 1. He also had the highest rating on Tennessee’s entire team on Saturday with a 90.6 grade on 24 plays.
Highest Graded SEC Running Back from Week 1:
🟠 DeSean Bishop, Tennessee: 90.6@Vol_Football pic.twitter.com/xd78mQAHrw
— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2025
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Sporting the old-school no-gloves look, Bishop carried the ball 11 times for 82 yards. His most memorable play came in a 47-yard scamper down the field in which he broke multiple tackles behind/around the line of scrimmage to get past the second level of the defense.
Bishop took the handoff from quarterback Joey Aguilar on the UT 25-yard line and started his run from the right to the left. He slipped through a defender behind the line of scrimmage before making his way around the left side of the offensive line, shedding another tackle just two yards past the line of scrimmage. Thanks to a burial of a block from wide receiver Braylon Staley on the outside, Bishop was off to the races after that. He burst down the field and ended up getting a near-50-yard gain on the play.
That set up Bishop to find the endzone just a few plays later on a one-yard touchdown run. He initially found the endzone on a five-yard run, but was ruled short after review. Tennessee kept him in the game to finish his dinner and get the touchdown to put the Vols up 31-14 before the halftime break.
“It was a huge blessing to find the endzone,” Bishop said in an interview on Tuesday morning. “Even leading up before the touchdown, it was a huge blessing to just step up there, you know. Got a little emotional before the game started because, kind of dreamed of this moment. Just being in the presence of this organization, being present in the moment of that touchdown, it’s like a real-life dream come true.”
Bishop, a native of Knoxville, TN, from Karns High School, patiently waited for an opportunity like the one he has here in 2025. He did not play in his true freshman season in 2023 and served as a backup to Sampson in 2024, but suffered a lower-body injury that sidelined him for three contests last year. Now, even though Tennessee has a room that also features skilled players such as Peyton Lewis and Star Thomas, Bishop looks like he might be the leading man for the room.
Bishop projects to have a big season in store behind a strong offensive line and a successful passing game.
