A day following breakout Tennessee football wide receiver Braylon Staley being named the SEC Freshman of the Year, a quartet of Vols, including Staley, have gotten more recognition from the conference. On Thursday, it was revealed that Staley, linebacker Edwin Spillman, offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. and cornerback Ty Redmond were all named to the Coaches Freshman All-SEC Team.
Tennessee landing four players on the list tied Alabama for the most of any program in the SEC. However, somewhat surprisingly, UT had offensive lineman Jesse Perry snubbed from the list, which could’ve given the Vols sole possession of the most in the league.
Staley posted 64 receptions for 806 yards and six touchdowns in his redshirt freshman season. This marked the sixth-most yards in the SEC and the eighth-most touchdowns of any player in the SEC.
He is the third Vol to ever win SEC Freshman of the Year 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.
More From RTI: WATCH: Tennessee WR Braylon Staley Finds Out He Won SEC Freshman of the Year
Spillman, also a redshirt freshman, battled injury a year ago, but was healthy this season. Starting the final five games of the season, he produced 74 tackles, 29 of which being solo efforts, two passes defended, 2.5 sacks and an interception.
Sanders is a true freshman who started the final five games of the regular season. He got his first action against Mississippi State, replacing an injured Perry, after beginning the season with an upper-body injury. In that crucial drive, he helped the team march down the field to tie the game just before the end of regulation.
On the year, Sanders played 425 snaps and earned a PFF grade of 67.2. He was named an On3 True Freshman All-American for his season.
Redmond was thrust into action far more than anybody expected as a true freshman. He was the first off the bench in the season opener against Syracuse with Jermod McCoy still recovering from his ACL injury, but Rickey Gibson III went down early, pushing Redmond onto the field.
McCoy never played a snap during the season and Gibson was never able to return, leading to Redmond being thrown into the fire as the full-time starter. There were growing pains at first, but he ended the season well, totalling 39 tackles, nine passes defended and three interceptions.
