After racking up more than 1,000 rushing yards during the 2025 season, Knoxville native and Tennessee running back DeSean Bishop is back for another year with the Big Orange. While the Vols will be replacing some key parts of their offense this offseason, bringing Bishop back is a massive piece of the puzzle to helping a freshman quarterback succeed.
Bishop won’t be the only running back that UT uses, though. During the transfer portal window, Tennessee went out and signed sophomore Javin Gordon out of Tulane. The 5-foot-10 running back rushed for over 500 yards and five touchdowns on 128 carries during his freshman year with the Green Wave. Gordon will be an important piece of Tennessee’s backfield, but he doesn’t have the shine Bishop has just yet. That’s why ESPN’s Harry Lyles Jr. picked Gordon as Tennessee’s top under-the-radar player heading into the 2026 season.
“The Vols had a need at running back, and filled it with the Tulane transfer,” Lyles writes. “Gordon ran for more than 500 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman, impressing the veterans on the Green Wave with his work ethic. One teammate last season, receiver Bryce Bohanon, said Gordon was already doing things most players take time to get accustomed to in order to have a successful transition from high school to college. As he takes a step up joining the SEC, that work ethic will be crucial in having success.”
While Gordon is a talented runner on the field, Lyles praised his mentality and ability off the field, which is something that we’ve already heard about this spring. Tennessee running backs coach De’Rail Sims spoke to the media during UT’s spring camp and highlighted Gordon as a “smart, really fast learner.” Sims also said that Gordon has “picked up the system really fast” and that you “kind of forget a little bit that he is still a freshman” in only his second semester of college.
“He’s done a really good job of interacting with the teammates. He’s just an old-school football player,” Sims said.
Gordon capped off his first spring camp with Tennessee with a huge touchdown play during the Vols’ Orange & White game in April. He broke off a massive 61-yard scoring run as he rolled straight through a defender to get into and past the secondary.
Javin Gordon breaks loose for a 61-yard touchdown ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/0MYbTR7KzA
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) April 11, 2026
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Gordon played in all 14 games for Tulane this past season, including the College Football Playoffs loss to Ole Miss. He started in six of the appearances, posting a PFF grade of 72.7 on the year. His weakest area was as a pass blocker at 57.1 and he stands at just 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds.
With still plenty of time to go until fall camp and the 2026 season, Tennessee’s running back room appears to be a three-horse unit at this point in time. You’ve got DeSean Bishop back to lead the charge, while also having Tulane transfer Javin Gordon and rising sophomore Daune Morris behind him. As a true freshman last year, Morris played in seven games and racked up 133 yards and one touchdown on 35 carries. He was also used as a special teams returner.
ESPN has Tennessee listed as the 25th-ranked team in its way-too-early power rankings.
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