Story by
Josh Heupel, Tennessee opt outs, who's in, who's out vs Illinois
- Story by
- Josh Heupel, Tennessee opt outs, who's in, who's out vs Illinois
Tennessee football and Illinois hoped to have complete and healthy rosters to play in the Music City Bowl , but that's not reality.
Players in virtually every program opt out of non-playoff bowls for various reasons. Some begin rehabbing injuries. Some start their preparation for NFL draft workouts. And others announce their intention to enter the transfer portal, which opens Jan. 2.
Advertisement
No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Nashville. Both teams will be without key players.
Quarterback Joey Aguilar will play in Tennessee's bowl game, but he's not projected as a high draft pick like some of his teammates. Each player makes the decision that's best for them. Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer also will play in the bowl game.
Here are the updates on Tennessee and Illinois opt-out decisions for the Music City Bowl.
Tennessee football players opting out of Music City Bowl
Edge rusher Joshua Josephs (NFL draft)
On Dec. 26, Joshua Josephs announced that will enter the NFL draft and opt out of the Music City Bowl. The playmaking edge rusher is projected as an early round draft pick. ESPN analyst Matt Miller ranks Josephs as the No. 36 prospect in the 2026 draft class. He had 33 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, four sacks, six quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a defensive TD. Josephs is a senior with no eligibility remaining.
Advertisement
Cornerback Colton Hood (NFL draft)
On Dec. 24, cornerback Colton Hood announced that he will enter the NFL draft and opt out of the Music City Bowl. The third-team All-SEC performer is projected as an early round draft pick. Some mock drafts even project him as a first-rounder. He had 50 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, eight pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two defensive TDs this season. Hood had two years of eligibility remaining.
Running back Peyton Lewis (portal)
Peyton Lewis plans to enter the transfer portal, he shared Dec. 21 on his Instagram. Lewis has been in the backfield rotation for two seasons at Tennessee, rushing for 629 yards and 10 touchdowns in 23 games.
Advertisement
Quarterback Jake Merklinger (portal)
On Dec. 17, Knox News confirmed that Jake Merklinger plans to enter the portal. The redshirt freshman played six games over two seasons and went 19-of-33 passing for 221 yards and two TDs. He was Aguilar's backup during the 2025 season.
Defensive back Marcus Goree (portal)
On Dec. 13, Marcus Goree announced that he plans to enter the portal, so he will not play in the Music City Bowl. The redshirt freshman defensive back appeared in two games this season and two games in 2024.
Linebacker Arion Carter (NFL draft)
On Dec. 12, Arion Carter announced that he will enter the NFL draft and opt out of the Music City Bowl. The second-team All-SEC performer led Tennessee with 76 tackles despite missing two games due to injuries that limited him in the second half of the season.
Advertisement
Wide receiver Chris Brazzell (NFL draft)
On Dec. 11, Chris Brazzell announced that he will enter the NFL draft and opt out of the Music City Bowl. The first-team All-SEC performer is projected as an early round draft pick. He led the SEC with 1,017 yards receiving and nine TD catches in the regular season.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy (NFL draft)
On Dec. 10, Jermod McCoy announced he will enter the NFL draft. The 2024 All-American missed the 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL in January. He is projected as first-round pick, pending strong performances in his pre-draft workouts. Obviously, McCoy's rehab and draft decision means he will not play in the Music City Bowl.
Advertisement
Linebacker Brenden Anes (portal)
On Dec. 10, Brenden Anes announced that he plans to enter the portal, so he will not play in the Music City Bowl. He played 12 games in the 2025 season, mostly on special teams. He made five tackles. Anes was a three-star signee in the 2025 class.
Defensive lineman Jamal Wallace (portal)
On Dec. 1, Jamal Wallace announced that he plans to enter the portal, so he will not play in the Music City Bowl. He played six games and made four tackles in the 2025 season, but he played in only one of UT's last seven games.
Defensive end Kellen Lindstrom (portal)
On Dec. 1, Kellen Lindstrom announced that he plans to enter the portal, so he will not play in the Music City Bowl. He played three games and made two tackles in the 2025 season.
Advertisement
Other potential Tennessee opt-outs to watch
Typically, players projected as NFL draft picks consider opting out of non-playoff bowl games. The following Tennessee players have not announced their decision either way, so we should assume they're playing in the Music City Bowl until told otherwise. But their draftable status and other factors make them players to watch as potential Music City Bowl opt-outs.
Left tackle Lance Heard:The third-team All-SEC performer is a draftable player, but it'd debatable how high he would go in the 2026 draft. Heard has one year of eligibility remaining. David Sanders is expected to move from right tackle to left tackle next season. That would require Heard to switch sides if he returns to Tennessee next season. Heard has not announced his NFL decision.
Tight end Miles Kitselman: The team leader and starting tight end missed the last two games of the regular season due to a leg injury. Even if Kitselman is medically cleared to play in the Music City Bowl, it would be surprising if he plays, considering the apparently severity of his injury. Kitselman has no eligibility remaining, and he's a draftable player. Neither UT nor Kitselman has addressed his availability for the Music City Bowl.
Advertisement
Defensive back Jalen McMurray: The versatile defensive back is a potentially draftable player, indicated by McMurray's invitation to the Senior Bowl, which will be played on Jan. 31. Senior Bowl practices are swarming with NFL scouts, which makes it extremely important for fringe draft prospects. Some players opt out of bowl games to remain healthy for the Senior Bowl. McMurray has no eligibility remaining. He has not announced his plans.
Illinois football players opting out of Music City Bowl
Edge rusher Gabe Jacas (NFL draft)
On Dec. 12, Gabe Jacas announced that he will enter the NFL draft and opt out of the Music City Bowl. The first-team All-Big Ten pick led the Big Ten in sacks with 11 and leaves Illinois second all-time in the category behind only Simeon Rice. Jacas is a top-100 player and likely draft pick.
Advertisement
Offensive tackle JC Davis (NFL draft)
On Dec. 13, coach Bret Bielema said JC Davis will opt out of the bowl game and enter the NFL draft. The New Mexico transfer started 49 games in a row overall and 25 in a row over the last two seasons with the Illini. The All-Big Ten first-teamer was the No. 3-graded offensive lineman in college football by Pro Football Focus.
Defensive back Matthew Bailey (injury)
On Dec. 13, Bielema said Matthew Bailey will miss the Music City Bowl with a shoulder injury. Bailey was a full-time starter, leading the Illini with 76 tackles. He added four tackles-for-loss, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. He could go to the NFL or return for his senior season.
Advertisement
Wide receiver Mario Sanders II (portal)
Wide receiver Mario Sanders plans to enter the transfer portal, according to a Dec. 14 post on his social media. He played had two catches in three games played with the Illini in 2025. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Defensive lineman Jeremiah Warren (portal)
Defensive lineman Jeremiah Warren plans to enter the transfer portal, according to a Dec. 5 post from Allen Trieu of 247Sports. The 6-3, 305-pounder played in 24 games over two seasons and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Linebacker Easton Baker (portal)
Linebacker Easton Baker plans to enter the transfer portal, according to Brandon Huffman of 247Sports on Dec. 2. He played one game with the Illini and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
Advertisement
Quarterback Trey Petty (portal)
Quarterback Trey Petty plans to enter the transfer portal, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel on Dec. 2. Petty did not play in a game with the Illini in two seasons. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
Wes Huett of the Peoria Journal Star contributed to this report. Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football opt outs for Music City Bowl vs Illinois
