Tennessee football’s receiver room entered fall practice thin after losing two scholarship players to graduation and six more to the transfer portal following the 2024 season. Despite the turnover, the Vols only added one transfer in the portal making them young and inexperienced entering the 2025 season.
Those concerns have been expedited by injuries, albeit minor ones, during fall practice. Tennessee locked media out of practice beginning Thursday, but its projected starting receivers didn’t practice together one single time through its first nine practices.
“I think there’s got to be a sense of urgency,” Tennessee receiver’s coach Kelsey Pope said Thursday. “I think we’re absolutely young.”
Chris Brazzell is just now getting back in the full swing of things as he works back from an offseason knee procedure. Braylon Staley has been sidelined much of the last week and a half. Mike Matthews has been the healthiest receiver but has still been in-and-out due to a minor injury.
It’s undoubtedly a negative that Tennessee’s projected starters have been banged up especially as they try to build chemistry with a new starting quarterback. But the positive amidst the negative is that other young receivers are getting force fed more-and-more reps which could be important later in the season with Tennessee bound to rely on freshmen.
“I think the good thing about being young is those guys are able to get more reps,” Pope said. “And that obviously heightens their sense of urgency. It also creates an energy and gives them experience in practice that will relate to the game. So with youth, obviously, you lack experience, but those guys are making up for it by the amount of reps they’re getting at practice.”
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Two of Tennessee’s freshman receivers who are getting more chances due to the injuries ahead of them are Travis Smith Jr. and Radarious Jackson. Both are former blue-chip recruits who Pope said are “different people” then they were going through spring practice a few months ago.
Early progress from Smith and Jackson is nice and bodes well long term. But for Tennessee’s passing game to have any hope of producing at a high level this season then Matthews, Staley and Brazzell have to take major steps forward.
Matthews and Staley are particularly intriguing in that regard because of their clear talent as they enter their second collegiate season and have a year in Josh Heupel’s offense under their belt.
“I see young guys stepping up,” Pope said. “Mike and Braylon Staley, for instance. Both of those guys came into the room last year, we had a bunch of vets. They’re typically more quiet, trying to feel their way through. From the time they get to the meat room this morning, those guys are setting the tone. They’re already minding guys about coaching points and installs. So I see those guys taking jumps.”
Receiver remains one of the biggest questions facing Tennessee entering this season. With that question still looming and kickoff just over two weeks away, the Vols are hoping their sense of urgency will breed positive results on the field.
