Veteran special-teams grinder with SEC-level toughness
Mike Bethea II enters the 2026 season as a fifth-year Tennessee defensive lineman who has carved out a role with effort, versatility, and special-teams value more than box-score fireworks. In the 2025 season, he appeared in 10 games and totaled 3 tackles, and across 2024-25 he logged 4 tackles in 12 games for the Vols[1][4]. His path matters: he came to Tennessee as a preferred walk-on after a strong Division III run at Maryville College, where he posted disruptive production in 2023, and his value is the kind coaches love—reliable, physical, and willing to do the dirty work[1][4].
