With under 24 hours until Tennessee football meets Mississippi State on the gridiron, the Vols have released their list of team captains for the game in Starkville. UT does captains on a game-by-game basis, but often a lot of the picks repeat throughout the season.
This time, there were two repeats and two first-timers on the year. Bennett Brady is the leader in the clubhouse in captain nods, now with three. Behind him, linebacker Jeremiah Telander is getting his second nod, joining Miles Kitselman as the only other multi-time captain this year. The new names on the list are defensive tackle Bryson Eason and offensive tackle Lance Heard.
Brady is a redshirt junior who has spent his entire career with Tennessee behind Matthew Salansky. He saw occasional action in relief throughout his career, but has never been the starting long snapper for the Vols until this year. Against Georgia, he made a remarkable play, diving into the end zone to help down a ball deep in UGA territory.
Telander is a junior linebacker who starts alongside Arion Carter. Carter was a captain in the season opener, with backup linebacker Edwin Spillman getting the nod in game two against ETSU. In 2025, Telander has notched 19 tackles and an interception.
Eason is a sixth-year senior who has been a long-time leader on the roster. He recently represented Tennessee at SEC Media Days prior to the season. As a starter at defensive tackle, he’s played the majority of snaps at the position this year and has notched 12 tackles and a fumble recovery.
Heard is the starter at left tackle and the lone returning starter on the offensive line. After a year battling injury a season ago, he’s healthy and looking like the former five-star recruit he was billed to be.
Game 1 Tennessee Captains (vs. Syracuse [Atlanta])
- LS Bennett Brady
- LB Arion Carter
- TE Miles Kitselman
- S Andre Turrentine
Game 2 Tennessee Captains (vs. ETSU)
- DE Dominic Bailey
- RB DeSean Bishop
- LB Edwin Spillman
- CB William Wright
Game 3 Tennessee Captains (vs. Georgia)
- LS Bennett Brady (second time)
- LEO Joshua Josephs
- TE Miles Kitselman (second time)
- LB Jeremiah Telander
Game 4 Tennessee Captains (vs. UAB)
- LB Ben Bolton
- DB Jalen McMurray
- WR Braylon Staley
- DE Tyree Weathersby
Game 5 Tennessee Captains (at Mississippi State)
- LS Bennett Brady (third time)
- DL Bryson Eason
- OL Lance Heard
- LB Jeremiah Telander (second time)
