Tennessee Running Back Punches Teammate Multiple Times During Senior Bowl Warmups

The Senior Bowl isn't exactly what it used to be, with college football being infiltrated with NIL deals, opt-outs, and plenty of NFL Draft-eligible players saying ‘no thanks’ to showcasing their skills one more time. That doesn't mean we aren't gifted some fireworks every now and again in the showcase, and this year they came courtesy of Tennessee running back Star Thomas.

It wasn't exactly a shining moment – apologies for that horrendous pun – from the Vols' star in Mobile.

During warm-ups, Thomas took a handoff up the middle and was met by Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher. Instead of the routine, gentle wrap-up you see during drills prior to kickoff, Boettcher decided to lower the shoulder and lay a serious hit on Thomas, who did not take it all too well.

As Boettcher appeared to realize he had taken things too far and offered the running back a hand to get up, Thomas came up swinging and landed three separate punches on the Oregon defender. Thomas also chucked the football at him.

The fact that the two were on the same team for the Senior Bowl makes the entire scenario that much more ridiculous.

Boettcher should've waited until the game started to deliver legitimate tackles, but Thomas also has to know that throwing punches is never the move, and certainly not the move in front of hundreds of NFL scouts.

Thomas had a strong campaign for the Vols in 2025, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and accounting for nine total touchdowns. Boettcher played on a different level this past season as he led the Ducks in total tackles with 136, which was 44 more than anyone else on the Oregon defense.

Thomas had just one rushing attempt for -1 yards during the Senior Bowl, while Boettcher led the game with 10 total tackles.