Tennessee football versatile defensive lineman Dominic Bailey is getting a crack at the NFL. The six-year Vols lineman signed with the Houston Texans after going undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.
During the 2025 season, Bailey played both defensive end and defensive tackle. While primarily used off the edge, he slid inside plenty, especially when Tennessee battled injury to the interior of its line. On the year, he produced 27 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and forced a fumble.
That 2025 season was one of four-straight years in which Eason appeared in all 13 games. An ironman on the defensive line for the Vols, he was consistently in the rotation for UT over the past handful of seasons. This included the 2024 year, which saw Tennessee have one of the best defensive lines in the country.
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Bailey’s first season in Knoxville was in 2020, but he did not play in any games. When Tennessee made the coaching change to Josh Heupel from Jeremy Pruitt, Bailey stuck through and stayed on Rocky Top. He played in two games in 2021, giving him a redshirt and a Covid year to use.
Bailey, listed at 6-foot-3 and 292 pounds, is from Salisbury, Maryland. He played at St. Frances Academy and was considered a four-star prospect. 247 Composite listed him as the No. 21 defensive tackle in the class.
During the 2026 NFL Draft, Tennessee saw five players hear their names called. This included four on the defensive side of the ball. The group was cornerback Colton Hood in the second round, wide receiver Chris Brazzell in the third, cornerback Jermod McCoy in the fourth, edge rusher Joshua Josephs in the fifth and defensive end Tyre West in the seventh.
