Tennessee freshman lands on ESPN’s list of college football ‘sleepers’ for 2025
Published:
ESPN published a list of 43 players who it classified as breakout candidates or “sleepers” for the 2025 season.
One under-the-radar player from Tennessee made the cut: freshman cornerback Ty Redmond. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg selected Redmond (and other players) after speaking with coaches and players from across the country throughout the offseason.
Here’s Rittenberg’s analysis on Redmond:
Redmond wasn’t among the higher-rated recruits in Tennessee’s class and isn’t even the most notable No. 4 on the roster (wide receiver Mike Matthews was a top-25 national recruit in 2024). But Redmond made an impact this spring, joining a secondary that includes standout cornerback Jermod McCoy and others. He was rated as both a cornerback and a safety by different recruiting outlets but probably can play multiple spots in Tennessee’s scheme.
Tennessee is loaded at cornerback, so it may be tough for Redmond to break in as an every-down player during the 2025 season. However, the Vols may need cover at that position as potential All-American Jermod McCoy continues to recover from offseason knee surgery — his timeline return to the field is still unclear.
Opposite McCoy (or potentially Redmond) would be Rickey Gibson III, who is an excellent college cornerback in his own right. If the Vols are able to get anything out of Redmond this season, it would be a big boost for Tennessee’s secondary.
Searching for places to bet on college football this season? Here’s everything you need to know about Tennessee betting apps to get started!
Redmond joined Tennessee as a 3-star prospect and the No. 702 overall player in the country for the class of 2025, per 247Sports Composite rankings. That’s typically not the profile of a true freshman who can contribute early in the SEC, so the Vols may have found a diamond-in-the-rough.
Tennessee will open the 2025 season against Syracuse on Aug. 30.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
