With under 24 hours until Tennessee football meets Syracuse on the gridiron, the Vols have released their list of team captains for the opener in Atlanta. UT does captains on a game-by-game basis, but often a lot of the picks repeat throughout the season.
For the game against the Orange, Tennessee will send long snapper Bennett Brady, linebacker Arion Carter, tight end Miles Kitselman and safety Andre Turrentine to midfield for the coin toss. All of whom are returners with Carter, Kitselman and Turrentine starting a year ago. This will be the first year for Brady as the starter with former captain Matthews Salansky out of eligibility.
Brady is a redshirt junior who has spent his entire career with Tennessee behind Salansky. He saw occasional action in relief throughout his career, but has never been the starting long snapper for the Vols until this year.
Carter is a true junior who has played a significant role in all three years with UT. As a sophomore, he started all 13 games while leading the team with 68 tackles. This off-season, he has earned a spot on the Athol Preseason All-SEC Second Team.
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Kitselman is in his second year with Tennessee after a long journey to become a contributor at this level. He began at the junior college level before transferring to Alabama. After not seeing much time on the field with the Tide, he transferred to the Vols. In 2024, he started in all 13 games while posting 301 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Turrentine is now a redshirt senior and in his fourth year with Tennessee. He spent his true freshman year at Ohio State before transferring to his home-state school of UT in 2022. He started all 13 games at safety a year ago.
The Vols will also have an honorary captain in Al Wilson. The legendary Tennessee linebacker will join the team captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss prior to the noon ET kickoff on Aug. 30 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Syracuse’s honorary captain is Keith Bullock.
Both Wilson and Bullock were on their respective teams when the squads met in 1998. Tennessee won the game 34-33 on the road en route to a national title. Wilson posted a team-high 13 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. Bullock led the Orange with 14 tackles, along with two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery.
