Former Tennessee football OL Cooper Mays gets tryout with Miami Dolphins

The former veteran Tennessee offensive lineman, who went undrafted last month, is among 20 players on the Miami Dolphins' rookie mini camp tryout roster this weekend.

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The 6-foot-4, 310-pound Mays played five seasons for the Vols and started four at center. He appeared in 53 games with 45 starts and was an All-SEC and All-American player as a fifth-year senior in 2024.

Mays was the program's first-ever finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given annually to the most outstanding center in college football last season.

Mays was the anchor of an offensive line that paved the way for Tennessee's top 10 rushing offense on its way to its first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024 and did not allow a sack or quarterback hit in more than 800 offensive snaps.

“Mays is very capable on lead pulls and up to linebackers,” NFL Network's Lance Zierlein wrote of Mays in March. “He plays with good hand placement and technique in the run game but will struggle to sustain blocks against NFL length/power. He’s adequate on most pass reps and punches with some authority but could have issues holding up on his own when isolated.

"Mays is a good football player, but he’s a single-position prospect who could have a tough time finding a home in the NFL.”

A Kingston, Tennessee native that starred at Knoxville Catholic High School before signing with the Vols in 2020, Mays played alongside his brother, Cade Mays for two seasons.

Cade Mays began his career at Georgia, but transferred to Tennessee in 2020, joining Cooper.

Cooper Mays, whose father Kevin Mays was an offensive lineman for the Vols in the 1990s, is looking to become the second Mays brother to play in the NFL after Cade Mays was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the sixth round of the 2022 draft.

Cade Mays worked his way into a starting role with the Panthers last season.

A strong showing at the Dolphins' rookie mini camp this weekend could land Cooper Mays in the league, too. He will be one of four offensive linemen trying out.

Former Tennessee running back Jaylen Wright is heading into his second season with Miami after being drafted by the franchise in the fourth round of the 2024 draft.

Two other Tennessee offensive linemen getting shot with NFL teams

Mays isn't the only former Tennessee offensive lineman that will try and earn a spot on an NFL roster this week.

Mays' teammates Javontez Spraggins and Andrej Karic will take part in rookie mini camp tryouts with the Indianapolis Colts and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Along with Mays, Spraggins was a key part of the Vols' offensive front over the last five seasons. He joined Tennessee as a three-star prospect in 2020 and started at guard for four years.

Spraggins played in 57 games with 49 starts in his career. He started 13 games at right guard during the Vols' playoff run.

Karic, who spent three seasons at Texas before transferring to Tennessee in 2023, appeared in 18 games and started 17 with the Vols, mostly at left guard.

He started 13 games as a senior in 2024, allowing just two sacks in 770 offensive snaps.

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