Tennessee running back named to Maxwell Award preseason watch list

Tennessee redshirt junior running back DeSean Bishop was named to the Maxwell Award Preseason Watch List ahead of the 2026 football season.

Bishop, a former walk-on, is the Vols’ first returning 1,000-yard running back since Jalen Hurd in 2016.

He totaled 1,076 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns on 182 attempts, while appearing in 13 games (13 starts). Bishop also totaled 15 receptions for 135 yards and led the team with 1,211 all-purpose yards, averaging 93.2 total yards per game. His 16 rushing touchdowns were tied for second in the SEC and ranked sixth nationally, while also tying for fourth most rushing touchdowns in a single season in program history.

Bishop was ranked fourth in rushing yards in the SEC last season, fifth in yards per game (82.8), fourth in yards per attempt (5.9) and recorded 100-plus rushing yards in three games.

Semifinalists for the Maxwell Award will be announced Nov. 10, while the three finalists will be announced on Nov. 24. A winner will be unveiled on Dec. 10.

The Maxwell Award has been awarded to the most outstanding player in college football annually since 1937. It is named in honor of Robert Maxwell, a former player at Swarthmore College, who later became a sportswriter and football official.

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