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Roster
Mays, Cooper
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Jersey Number 63
Cooper Mays
- Position:
- OL
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-3 / 296
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Kingston, Tenn.
- High School:
- Knoxville Catholic
Bio
CAREER HONORS
2024 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll2024 Rimington Trophy Finalist
2024 All-America First Team (Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, USA Today)
2024 All-America Second Team (AFCA, The Athletic, ESPN)
2024 All-America Third Team (Phil Steele)
2024 All-SEC First Team (Coaches)
2024 All-SEC Second Team (AP)
Outland Trophy Player of the Week (vs. Mississippi State, 11/12/24)
SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week (vs. Alabama, 10/21/24; vs. NC State, 9/9/24; vs. Missouri, 11/14/22)
2023 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2023 All-SEC Second Team (AP)
2022 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2021 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
CAREER
Local All-SEC performer and All-American who served as Tennessee’s starting center and continued a family legacy of Vols … The 2024 campaign was his fifth and final year with the program, including his fourth consecutive season as the starting center … A 2024 Rimington Trophy finalist and first-team All-American who was among one of the nation’s smartest and most consistent centers … Leader of an offensive line that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award in 2022, 2023 and 2024 ... Lined up alongside his brother, Cade, on the offensive line for two seasons, while his father, Kevin, was an All-SEC guard in the 90s … A three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll recipient, member of the team’s leadership council and a leader on and off the field … Played in 53 games with 45 starts, all at center … Saw action on 2,962 career offensive snaps, allowing only five sacks … Did not allow a sack in 26 straight appearances, a streak that dated from Nov. 5, 2022 vs. Georgia to Nov. 30, 2024 at Vanderbilt … Wore the SEC graduate patch in his final season after earning his degree in May 2024.2024 – SENIOR (FIFTH YEAR)
Tennessee’s starting center in all 13 games who allowed only one sack in 887 offensive snaps according to PFF ... Became the first player in Tennessee history to be named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy … The fourth center in UT history to earn All-America honors and the first since Bob Johnson in 1967 … His 98.7 pass blocking efficiency rating according to PFF ranked third among centers in the SEC (min. 400 pass blocking snaps) ... Started his final game at center and played 71 snaps in Tennessee's CFP first round matchup at No. 6 Ohio State (12/21) ... Played all 75 snaps and did not allow a pressure as Tennessee piled up 538 total yards of offense in the regular season finale at Vanderbilt (11/30), including 281 yards on the ground ... Served as a captain on Senior Day vs. UTEP (11/23), started and played 52 snaps without allowing a sack or QB hit - his 25th straight game without giving up a sack ... Made his 50th career appearance and saw action on all 72 offensive snaps at No. 12 Georgia (11/16), did not allow a sack or QB hit ... Played all 78 offensive snaps as UT rolled up 452 total yards, including 240 on the ground, in the win over Mississippi State (11/9) and did not allow a pressure ... Made his 40th career start in the win over Kentucky (11/2) and saw action on all 82 offensive plays while not allowing a sack or QB hit ... Earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week honors after his performance vs. No. 7 Alabama (10/19), paving the way for a Tennessee offense that put up 408 total yards and 214 rushing yards ... Against Alabama, was the highest graded blocker in the game on both sides at 82.9 according to PFF ... Registered 69 offensive snaps at center vs. Florida (10/12) and did not allow a sack or QB hit ... PFF recognized his effort against the Gators as the highest graded center in Week 7 (75.8) ... Started at center and did not give up a pressure in all 64 offensive plays at Arkansas (10/5) ... Played all 73 snaps at center in road win at No. 15 Oklahoma (9/21) and did not allow a pressure for the third time this season ... Started at center vs. Kent State (9/14) and did not allow pressure in 39 offensive snaps as Tennessee set modern-era school records for points (71) and total offense (740) ... In his 11th consecutive game starting at center, saw action on 63 snaps and did not allow a sack vs. No. 24 NC State (9/7) — paving the way for 249 rushing yards and 460 yards of total offense ... Was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week for the second time in his career after his performance against the Wolfpack ... Started the season opener vs. Chattanooga (8/31) and played 54 snaps at center without allowing a pressure, helping the Vols compile 718 total yards of offense, which was tied for the second most in program history.2023 – SENIOR
Started the final nine games at center after missing the first four contests due to a hernia surgery during camp on Aug. 9 ... Made an immediate, stabilizing presence when he returned and did not allow a sack and only one QB hit in 531 snaps … Helped the Vols become Joe Moore Award semifinalists for the second straight year … Dominated an outstanding Iowa defense in a 68-snap start in the Citrus Bowl (1/1) … Logged his 2,000th career offensive snap in regular season finale vs. Vanderbilt (11/25) … Made his 30th career start, played 52 snaps and did not allow a pressure vs. No. 1 Georgia (11/18) ... Saw action on all 57 plays at No. 14 Missouri (11/11) and did not allow a sack or QB hit ... Started at center vs. UConn (11/4), played 38 snaps and did not allow a pressure as the Vols generated a season-high 650 total yards (375 pass, 275 rush) at a clip of 10.0 yards per play, the highest for UT since 2016 ... Played all 68 offensive snaps at Kentucky (10/28) and did not allow a sack or QB hit as the Vols totaled 481 yards of offense and ran for 253 yards against the SEC’s No. 2 ranked rush defense ... Started at center at No. 11/8 Alabama (10/21) and saw action on all 79 offensive snaps without allowing a sack or hit ... In his 25th career start, played all 71 offensive snaps vs. Texas A&M (10/14) without allowing a pressure and paved the way for 232 rushing yards ... Made season debut and first start of 2023 in win vs. South Carolina (9/30), playing 70 offensive snaps at center as the Vols piled up 238 rushing yards ... Did not play vs. Virginia (9/2), Austin Peay (9/9), Florida (9/16) or UTSA (9/23) while recovering from injury.2022 – JUNIOR
A steady anchor of UT’s offensive line who started all 13 games at center … Member of a unit that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award for the first time in school history and paved the way and protected for the nation’s No. 1 offense … Saw action on 894 snaps and did not allow a sack in the final five games of the year … Controlled the line in Orange Bowl finale vs. Clemson (12/30) without allowing a sack or a hit in 69 snaps … Finished the regular season with a strong night at Vanderbilt (11/26), playing 46 snaps and anchoring the offensive line which did not concede one sack to the Commodores ... Did not allow any pressures or sacks at South Carolina (11/19) and played 84 penalty-free snaps as the Vols racked up 507 yards of total offense ... Made his 20th collegiate start at center against Missouri (11/12) and had 75 spotless snaps up front, allowing no pressures in a historic offensive performance that saw UT break the program-record for single-game total offense with 724 yards ... His performance against the Tigers in the 2022 home finale was good for SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week acclaim … Stout on the line at No. 3 Georgia (11/5), allowing no pressures from the center position in 80 snaps ... Allowed just one pressure in 68 snaps as the starting center in the victory over No. 19 Kentucky (10/29) … Played all 76 offensive snaps in a start at center against No. 3 Alabama (10/15), helping in pass protection for a historic evening … Played 82 snaps allowing no pressures and committing no penalties in the road win against No. 25 LSU (10/8) ... Logged 72 snaps as the starting center in win over No. 20 Florida (9/24), blocking for 576 yards of total offense in the contest and 227 on the ground ... Played in his 20th collegiate game and started at center in win at No. 17 Pitt (9/10), playing all 79 snaps ... Started at center and played 59 offensive snaps without allowing any pressures, hurries, hits or sacks in season opener vs. Ball State (9/1).2021 – SOPHOMORE
Played and started at center in eight games … Did not play against Pitt, Tennessee Tech, Missouri, South Carolina and Ole Miss due to injury … Got healthy and started the final six games of the year … Saw action on 480 offensive snaps during the year … Did not allow a sack in the final five games … Played a career-high 111 snaps in start vs. Purdue in Music City Bowl (12/30) … Played all 60 snaps in a start at center against Vanderbilt (11/27) and did not allow a sack as UT racked up 441 yards of total offense, including 285 rushing yards ... Made his sixth start of the season at center against South Alabama (11/20), helping the Vols pile up 561 total yards of offense ... Did not allow a sack and played all 89 plays at center against No. 1 Georgia (11/13) ... Played all 49 offensive snaps in win at No. 18 Kentucky at center, helping UT rack up 461 yards of total offense ... Returned to start at No. 4 Alabama (10/23), playing 57 penalty-free snaps at center ... Started at No. 11 Florida (9/25) and played 50 snaps at center before leaving with an injury ... Started in season-opener against Bowling Green (9/2) at center before exiting in first half with injury … Elected to the SEC Honor Roll following the season.2020 – FRESHMAN
Played in all 10 games and made two starts at center as a true freshman ... Saw extensive action on the PAT and field goal line units and was an extra blocker in Tennessee's "jumbo" package ... Saw action on 170 total snaps … Earned second straight start at center vs. Vanderbilt (12/12) and helped the Vols pile up a season-high 540 yards of total offense (328 passing, 212 rushing) against the Commodores ... Played a season-high 72 snaps vs. Vandy … Made first career start in loss against No. 6 Florida (12/5), getting the nod at center ... Made debut in season-opening win at South Carolina (9/26) on special teams units.HIGH SCHOOL
A four-star offensive line standout from Knoxville Catholic … Coached by Steve Matthews … Ranked the No. 6 center in the nation by 247Sports and the No. 8 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee … Rivals rated him No. 4 at his position and No. 11 overall in the state of Tennessee … Key member of Knoxville Catholic’s offensive line that paved the way for 2,360 rushing yards in 2019 … Named to 2019 TSWA Division II-AAA All-State Team ... Named to 2018 TSWA Class 5A All-State Team … Helped lead Catholic to a Division I Class 5A Final Four appearance in 2018 … Participated in Nike’s “The Opening.”PERSONAL
Full name is Cooper Morgan Mays … Born March 11, 2001 … Son of Kevin and Melinda Mays … Played alongside his brother, Cade, for two seasons from 2020-21, before Cade was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round (pick 199) of the 2022 NFL Draft … The two reunited on the same team after Cade transferred from Georgia … Father, Kevin, lettered for the Vols from 1991-94 and was a team captain and All-SEC guard in 1994 … Has another younger brother, Camp … Started playing football in third grade … Earned his undergraduate degree in sport management in May 2024 ... Recipient of the Bryan Blalock Athletic Scholarship Endowment … An avid outdoorsman … Dream vacation says is to Santorini, Greece … Twitter handle is @CooperMays and Instagram handle is @coop.mays.FB | Cinematic Recap vs. Syracuse (8.30.25)
Tuesday, September 02
FB | Willie Martinez Press Conference (9.2.25)
Tuesday, September 02
FB | Joey Halzle Press Conference (9.2.25)
Tuesday, September 02
FB | Josh Heupel Press Conference (9.1.25)
Monday, September 01
