Nearly a week before the unofficial start to the SEC football season, Tennessee announced its lineup for SEC Media Days in downtown Dallas, Texas next Tuesday.

Senior offensive lineman Cooper Mays, linebacker Keenan Pili and defensive lineman Omari Thomas will accompany fourth-year head coach Josh Heupel to the annual media event at the Omini Hotel on July 16.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

The trio, along with Heupel, will take the stage on Tuesday, previewing the 2024 season with TV, radio and print reporters.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz and Oklahoma coach Brent Venables are also scheduled to speak on Tuesday. The four-day event will air on SEC Network.

Mays, who is entering his fifth season at Tennessee, started the last nine games of the 2023 season at center after missing the first four games due to an injury and subsequent surgery in fall camp. He anchored the Vols' offensive line and did not allow a sack in 531 snaps, earning Second Team All-SEC honors.

Pili was expected to be a major contributor at linebacker after transferring from BYU ahead of last season, but missed much of the year after a season-ending injury in Tennessee's opener against Virginia. Pili opted to return after a medical redshirt and is again expected to bolster the Vols' linebacking corps.

Thomas was among a number of high-profile players that decided to come back to Tennessee for a fifth season after starring on the interior of the Vols' defensive front as a senior last season. Thomas had a career-high 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack and a blocked kick.

SEC Media Days is slated to begin on Monday, July 15 for the first time in Dallas.

All 16 league coaches, including newcomers Steve Sarkisian (Texas) and Brent Venables (Oklahoma), will be on hand. Television coverage is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET and will run through Thursday afternoon on SEC Network.

Here is the full schedule.

Monday, July 15

Brian Kelly - LSU

Lane Kiffin - Ole Miss

Shane Beamer - South Carolina

Clark Lea - Vanderbilt

Tuesday, July 16

Kirby Smart - Georgia

Eli Drinkwitz - Missouri

Brent Venables - Oklahoma

Josh Heupel - Tennessee

Wednesday, July 17

Kalen DeBoer - Alabama

Billy Napier - Florida

Jeff Lebby - Mississippi State

Steve Sarkisian - Texas

Thursday, July 18

Sam Pittman - Arkansas

Hugh Freeze - Auburn

Mark Stoops - Kentucky

Mike Elko - Texas A&M

–––––

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.

–––––