On Wednesday, Tennessee football wide receiver Braylon Staley’s fantastic season was recognized by the conference. He was named SEC Freshman of the Year after starting each game in the slot for the Vols this season.
Breaking the news to Staley was his dad, Brian Staley. His dad was a junior college football All-American cornerback at Georgia Military College in 2001 and 2002. He then played at Mississippi State under Sylvester Croom.
“What’s up ya’ll,” Brian Staley said. “We just wanted to come on, man, and let you know, hey, Bray, you are the SEC Freshman of the Year big dog.
The moment Braylon found out he was the @SEC Freshman of the Year. 👏#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/eS29Fpc05V
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) December 10, 2025
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Braylon Staley is the third Vol to ever win the award and joins some elite company. In 1994, legendary quarterback Peyton Manning earned the honor. Just a few years later, running back Jamal Lewis earned it in 1997.
He snagged the honor due to a dominant year in the slot for Tennessee. With limited depth at the position, he stepped up to play the overwhelming majority of snaps there while staying healthy. The result was 64 receptions for 806 yards and six touchdowns.
Braylon Staley’s 806 yards marked the sixth-most of any wide receiver in the SEC this season. He was joined by a pair of teammates in the top ten, with Chris Brazzell posting a conference-high 1,017 and Mike Matthews coming in at seventh with 770. His six touchdowns tied for eighth in the SEC, as well, with Brazzell tied for first at nine.
In 2025, Braylon Staley finished with over 90 yards five times. This included eclipsing the 100-yard mark in SEC wins over Arkansas and Kentucky. He had one game with multiple scores, finding the end zone twice vs. Oklahoma while posting five receptions for 75 yards.
