DeSean Bishop becomes third straight Tennessee RB to rush for over 1,000 yards
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
For the third straight season, Tennessee has a 1,000-yard rusher. DeSean Bishop became the newest member of the Volunteers’ 1,000-yard club on Tuesday during the first drive of the Music City Bowl in Nashville against Illinois.
Bishop started the day with 983 rushing yards, putting him fifth in the conference. After a run of -1 yard on the Vols’ opening drive against the Illini, he went for 18 on his next carry to put him at exactly 1,000 yards.
The list of Vols that have run for 1,000 yards or more is a short one. In fact, only 20 players in program history have achieved the mark. The first to do it was Johnnie Jones, who did it in back-to-back years (1983 and 1984).
And, as mentioned, Bishop makes three seasons in a row where the Vols have had a thousand-yard rusher. Jaylen Wright recorded 1,013 yards in 2023. Dylan Sampson posted 1,491 yards in 2024, the highest single-season total in program history. Before Wright did it in 2023, the last 1,000-yard rusher for the Volunteers was Jalen Hurd, who ran for 1,288 yards in 2015.
Looking at the SEC as a whole, 326 players in the conference’s history have run for 1,000 yards.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
