Last season, Tennessee football put together one of the most impressive trio of wide receivers in the SEC. This upcoming year, the Vols will return two of those pieces, Braylon Staley and Mike Matthews.
However, with the departure of Chris Brazzell, a spot on the outside is up for grabs. While a rotation of players is the most likely option, the starting job is seemingly between Radarious Jackson, Travis Smith Jr. and incoming five-star freshman TK Keys.
For Keys, he put together a productive spring while coming back from injury. Now, in the summer, he looks sharp. He posted a video of a workout on his Instagram that showed off his progression.
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Despite battling injury, the coaching staff at UT was pleased with how he developed over the course of spring camp. This included wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator Kelsey Pope.
“(Keys), from a readiness standpoint and a preparation standpoint, he’s been as good of a freshman as I’ve been around,” Pope said in the spring. “He’s competitive. He cares. He’s a sponge. He wants to go over those things. He almost sometimes wants to know too much. You’ve got to slow him down because he just wants to take in all the information at once, which can be harmful sometimes for freshmen. He’s been really good. He’s in the building every time that you need him to be. He’s in the building next to you. He’s coming in early. He’s staying late. From a preparation standpoint, he’s serious about what he’s doing and where he’s trying to get to.”
Keys was ranked as the No. 12 overall recruit in the 2026 class by 247. Out of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, he was the No. 1 wide receiver in the country and No. 1 player from the state.
