It didn’t take long for Tennessee redshirt freshman wide receiver Braylon Staley to make an impact with the Volunteers. Staley made his first career start against Syracuse on Saturday in Atlanta and finished the game with four receptions for one touchdown and a game-high 95 receiving yards.
He was part of the longest play of the day for either team, which was a 73-yard touchdown from quarterback Joey Aguilar in the first half. Staley beat freshman defensive back Demetres Samuel Jr. down the field, caught the pass, and ran the final 25 yards into the Tennessee-branded endzone.
Staley was named SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday after a huge performance in Week 1.
🏈 #SECFB Players of the Week: Sept. 1
OFFENSIVE
Jackson Arnold, QB, @AuburnFootball
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, @LSUfootballDEFENSIVE
Colton Hood, DB, @Vol_Football
Fred Johnson, LB, @GamecockFBSPECIAL TEAMS
Rayshawn Pleasant, CB/KR, @AuburnFootball
Vicari Swain, DB/PR,…— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 1, 2025
More From RTI: Tennessee Football Lands Inside Yahoo Top 10 After Week 1 Win Over Syracuse
“I just feel like we felt confident in ourselves out there,” Staley said about the Vols’ offense in a 45-point showing on Saturday. “I feel like we still have a lot to improve on. We got to do that this week in practice. I feel like there’s always something to get better at. I think we just take the next step forward and continue to get better.”
Staley was just one of two players in the country and the only player from the SEC with a 70-plus yard catch in Week 1 of the regular season. The other was Southern Cal’s Eli Sanders.
“I mean, we called the play to either me or Mike (Matthews),” Staley said about his touchdown grab after the game. “I felt like I had the right read on it. Ran the post route, I was open. Touchdown.”
Staley looked to have good rhythm with quarterback Joey Aguilar in the Vols’ season opener against the Orange. His role will be crucial for Tennessee’s passing offense moving forward into the season, but he looks poised to continue his success after a strong opening game this past weekend.
dialed up a deep shot
📺 ABC
📲 https://t.co/ZKIJ43A754 pic.twitter.com/aMx3Q6S2eh— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) August 30, 2025
Staley wasn’t Tennessee’s only player recognized in Week 1, either. Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood was named the co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week after returning a scoop-and-score touchdown while playing in all 84 snaps for the Volunteers’ defense. His play will continue to be important for Tennessee with the recent news of Rickey Gibson III’s extended injury.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more coverage on Tennessee’s ongoing football season.
