The Tennessee football team will be donning a new look during the 2025 season.

On Thursday, the Vols revealed that their crop of uniform combinations will include a Smokey Grey edition in honor of the United States Armed Forces. The university unveiled the new look in a series of photos and videos:

Tennessee originally launched the Smokey Grey series in 2022. According to a release, “The Volunteer Spirit” is the fourth edition in the series and the first to pay homage to the U.S. Armed Forces. The 2023 edition was “a tribute to legendary VFL Condredge Holloway, the first Black player to start at quarterback for an SEC program.” The uniforms the Vols wore in the 2024 opener were “an ode to the state and Tennessee’s status as the flagship university with the Tri-Star state emblem serving as the centerpiece.”

Tennessee will wear this year’s Smokey Grey uniforms on Nov. 15 in a home matchup against New Mexico State for the annual Salute to Service game, which honors U.S. service members, veterans and their families. The game, which is also the Vols’ Homecoming event, will be played four days after Veterans Day.

In 2024, Tennessee finished with a 10-3 record after earning a berth in the College Football Playoff. The Vols lost their first-round matchup 42-17 to Ohio State, which went on to win the national championship.

This year’s Tennessee squad will look a little different in its fifth year under head coach Josh Heupel. The highly publicized departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava put the Vols under the spotlight this offseason. UCLA transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar is expected to take the reins when Tennessee opens the 2025 campaign on Aug. 30 against Syracuse.

A lot of kids in the bluegrass who play basketball go on to dream of getting to play for Kentucky. When that moment came for Miami (OH) C Reece Potter in the NCAA Transfer Portal, though, he couldn’t believe it had happened for him.

Potter discussed his portal recruitment, and the eventual involvement in it from UK, while speaking to the media on Monday. He said he and his family initially didn’t think it was true when the Wildcats reached out, among other college programs, in the spring.

“It was kind of wild. So, you know, Coach Fueger messaged me and, when he reached out, I thought, like, I didn’t believe, like, Kentucky reached out to me,” Potter recalled. “I was like, this is kind of – I showed my dad. I was actually in Lexington. So, you know, I was like, dad, I think Kentucky just reached out to me? And he was like, nah, you’re lying, you know. You know, you have all the coaches that reach out to you once you hit the portal.”

However, if that wasn’t enough for the Potters, they must have realized how true it was when Mark Pope called in for him on a FaceTime. That’s when the unbelievable became believable for the in-state transfer.

“And then, I told them I was interested. And Coach Pope actually FaceTimed me. I was like, oh my. Like, Coach Pope is FaceTiming me. So, it was surreal,” said Potter. “I was very blessed to have that (happen).”

Potter, a Lexington native who played his high school basketball at Lexington Catholic less than 15 minutes off campus, would get mid-major interest in his recruitment, beginning his collegiate career by committing to Miami (OH). He appeared in 56 games, mostly as a reserve big, through two seasons with the Redhawks while averaging 6.3 points (45.4% FG, 39.8% 3PT), 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists.

Potter would go on to enter his name into the portal at the opening of the window in March. Then, after hearing from several programs, including the reported likes of even North Carolina, UConn, and Louisville, Potter would commit to Kentucky on April 5th after what was an under-the-radar recruitment by UK. That would make him one of six transfers, making up the No. 2 portal class per On3, incoming for the Wildcats going into a much-anticipated year two for Pope.

Potter is getting to live the dream, his own dream, now of an in-state player like himself after the Wildcats came calling. That’ll only get more real for him through this summer and fall going into his debut with the program in Rupp Arena come November.

Jeremiah Smith Flaunts $4.2 Million Lavish Lifestyle After Signing Recent NIL Deal originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Regardless of position or age, many around college football would argue that Ohio State’s true sophomore wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith, is the best player in the sport.

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The former No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024 more than lived up to the billing, as he played a key role in the Buckeyes winning the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

He finished the season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, while averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He was also named a first-team All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Rose Bowl MVP and Big Ten Receiver of the Year.

His strong season also presumably led to him receiving a substantial amount of money in the NIL department. According to On3, Smith possesses an NIL Valuation of $4.2 million and has inked deals with brands such as Nintendo, Red Bull, Lululemon and most recently Adidas, which was announced on Wednesday.

After becoming a three-stripe athlete on Wednesday, Smith took to Instagram on Thursday to do a bit of flexing.

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Smith can be seen posing in front of a Lamborghini, while also flexing a watch that appears to have as many diamonds as stars in the sky.

While many around college football frequently say the real money is in the NFL, it does appear that being one of the best players in college football pays quite well in its own right.

Smith and the Buckeyes will begin their title defense in 2025 against the Texas Longhorns, who are set to head to Columbus for the Week 1 clash of the titans.

While he is more than ready for the NFL, Smith has at least two more years left in college, which is great news for Ohio State fans but not for defensive backs.

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Related: Arch Manning Had No Words After Peyton Manning’s Post on Tuesday

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced on June 21, 2025, a lawsuit against the University of Miami for tampering with and ultimately poaching defensive back Xavier Lucas from their roster in violation of a name, image and likeness (NIL) agreement. 

Wisconsin alleges Miami engaged in impermissible contact days after Lucas, a Florida native, entered an NIL contract with the Badgers, citing an alleged meeting between the defensive back and Miami coaches and alumni at his Florida home. 

Although UW-Madison has not taken any legal action against Lucas himself, his lawyer claims Wisconsin was the problem for refusing to enter his name into the transfer portal. Wisconsin cites Lucas’ two-year long contractual NIL deal as the reason for this refusal. 

“The University of Wisconsin-Madison remains committed to ensuring integrity and fundamental fairness in the evolving landscape of college athletics. After reviewing all facts and evaluating options, the university today filed a complaint in Wisconsin state court outlining our allegations against the University of Miami,” the school announced in a statement. 

The university said it launched the lawsuit “reluctantly,” but believes enforcing NIL contracts like this one is “essential to maintaining a legal playing field” in the NCAA.

The results of this case have yet to play out, but are likely to have a broad impact on the landscape of NIL deals. This is the first time the financial and contractual obligations of an NIL deal have risen to this level of enforcement, so the case’s outcome will set a precedent for the future of student athletes’ rights. 

COLUMBUS — Ohio State football’s partnership with Nike is well-documented, but one of the Buckeyes’ best players has inked a name, image and likeness deal with a top competitor.

Receiver Jeremiah Smith, likely the best returning player in college football ahead of the 2025 season, is now an Adidas athlete, the brand announced Wednesday.

Smith isn’t the first athlete at a Nike school to ink such a deal — women’s basketball star Hailey Van Lith did so while at LSU, for example — but he is likely the most notable standout to do so while actively playing at the collegiate level.

“One of the most memorable moments from last season was losing my black stripe and officially becoming a Buckeye,” Smith said in a press release. “Fast forward a year and I’m blessed to be adding three, joining the fastest brand in football. It’s crazy to be partnering with a brand that has such a talented roster of players and that I’ve been wearing since I was a young kid. We’re not done yet.”

Smith, who was featured in multiple Nike ad campaigns while leading the Buckeyes to a national title earlier this year, will still wear OSU apparel during team activities such as games.

Through other platforms such as social media, where he has more than 600,000 followers combined between Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), he can promote Adidas.

Former Ohio State receivers Garrett Wilson and Emeka Egbuka have also signed to become Adidas athletes, though both did so after finishing their careers as Buckeyes.

Ohio State commits Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt also work with Adidas.

Smith’s deal comes amid a new age of NIL.

Third-party NIL deals, meaning payments not coming directly from schools through revenue sharing, of more than $600 must be approved by a Deloitte-run clearinghouse dubbed “NIL Go.”

Smith’s agreement should have little uncertainty surrounding it. The goal of the clearinghouse is to eliminate boosters and collectives paying large sums of money for athletes to attend their schools.

Smith will take part in marketing campaigns and things of that nature for Adidas, proving a legitimate business purpose for the NIL deal.