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NASHVILLE – Tennessee and Illinois will play the Music City Bowl without some key players who opted out of the game.
Some are preparing for NFL draft workouts. Some are nursing injuries. Some are headed to the transfer portal, which opens Jan. 2.
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No. 23 Tennessee (8-4) plays Illinois (8-4) on Dec. 30 (5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium. Here are the players who opted out of the Music City Bowl.
Tennessee players opted out of Music City Bowl
EDGE Joshua Josephs (NFL draft)
Joshua Josephs, the playmaking edge rusher, is projected as an early round NFL 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.
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LB Arion Carter (NFL draft)
Arion Carter will enter the NFL draft, where he could be an early or mid-round pick. 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. He had one season of eligibility remaining.
WR Chris Brazzell (NFL draft)
Chris Brazzell was a third-team AP All-American, first-team All-SEC performer and a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist. He is projected as an early round draft pick after leading the SEC with 1,017 yards receiving and nine TD catches in the regular season. Brazzell had one season of eligibility remaining.
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CB Colton Hood (NFL draft)
Colton Hood, a 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.
CB Jermod McCoy (NFL draft)
Jermod McCoy, a 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. McCoy hoped to return to the field late in the 2025 season, but that never happened. Obviously, McCoy's rehab and draft decision means he will not play in the Music City Bowl.
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RB Peyton Lewis (portal)
Peyton Lewis plans to enter the transfer portal, he shared Dec. 21 on his Instagram page. Lewis has been in the backfield rotation for two seasons at Tennessee, rushing for 629 yards and 10 touchdowns in 23 games.
QB 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 Joey Aguilar's backup during the 2025 season.
DB 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.
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LB 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.
DL 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.
DE 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.
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Illinois players opted out of Music City Bowl
EDGE Gabe Jacas (NFL draft)
Gabe Jacas opted out of the Music City Bowl after declaring for the NFL draft. 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.
OT JC Davis (NFL draft)
J.C. Davis opted out of the Music City Bowl after declaring for 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.
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DB Matthew Bailey (injury, possibly NFL draft)
Illinois coach Bret Bielema said safety 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.
WR Mario Sanders (portal)
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.
DL Jeremiah Warren (portal)
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.
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LB Easton Baker (portal)
Easton Baker plans to enter the transfer portal, 247Sports reported on Dec. 2. He played one game with the Illini and has three seasons of eligibility remaining.
QB Trey Petty (portal)
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 has 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.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee vs. Illinois opt-outs in Music City Bowl
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