Tennessee football is five games into the 2025 season and off to a strong 4-1 start. With plenty of young players paving the way, three freshmen have been named to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Watchlist. The award is given to the top-performing freshman across the country.
At this point, redshirt freshmen wide receiver Braylon Staley and offensive lineman Jesse Perry and true freshman cornerback Ty Remdond have made the cut. All three are in the starting lineup and have been critical pieces to this point in the season.
The Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award has been handed out since 2018. It is named after Shaun Alexander, a former running back at Alabama and the 2005 NFL MVP with the Seattle Seahawks.
3 Vols added to the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award Watch List by @MaxwellFootball
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— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 7, 2025
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Staley is in year two at Tennessee after seeing sparing action as a true freshman. Despite the lack of experience, the Vols bet on him to be productive as a redshirt freshman. As the starting slot receiver, he’s lived up to the hype, totalling 25 catches for 322 yards and two touchdowns.
“Braylon’s been huge for us,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said. “He was a guy that we felt all off-season when the question was, how are you going to replace the production that left the building? And he was a guy that we felt was a big part of that, that we really liked through last season, we really liked him through all fall, all spring ball. So we thought that was a guy that was going to step up. Again, just like a lot of our team this year, they just hadn’t done it yet with live fire. But to see the way that he’s responded right from the jump, he’s been a huge part of what we’ve been able to do. A big body in the slot that can run. He’s got the long wingspan, the great ball skills. So he’s a guy that allows us to be really free in the slot position.”
Perry was projected to fight for the open guard spot on the offensive line this offseason. However, with freshman David Sanders out to start the year, he was pushed out to right tackle. In this role, Perry has shone, becoming one of the more consistent pieces of an improved front.
Redmond was projected to start the year behind the tandem of Colton Hood and Rickey Gibson III. When Jermod McCoy came back from injury, it would’ve pushed him further down the depth chart. However, with Gibson injured and McCoy still unavailable, Redmond has stepped into a starting position and held down his side of the field to an impressive degree for a true freshman.
