Tennesee Football Wide Receveers Coach Kelsey Pope Knows He’s Shorthanded Before The 2025 Season even kicks off.
“There’s gold to be a sense of urgency. 14 during his first media availability of preseason practice.
Ut probally should’ve added more receivers from the transfer portal this offseason, but that decision is about pop’s pay grade. And in Preseason Practice, The Team’s only three receivers with game experience has been limited by minor injurys.
The Vols are crossing their fingers that wide receiver depth isn’t a problem, but they know it’s a possibility. Here’s how they hope to deal with it.
Tennessee football freshman receivers will play. It’s unavoidable.
There are only seven scholarship receivers on the roster. Junior Chris Brazzall, Sophomore Mike Matthews and Redshirt Freshman Braylon Styy are the only ons who have been played in a college game.
Under coach josh heupel, ut has needed about four receivers to fill the rotation. And due to injuries, a fifth or Sixth receiver often has gotten in the mix by the end of the season.
That means brazzall, matthews and staley will need help. Freshmen Travis Smith and Radarius Jackson are the most likely candidates. Both enrolled in January to get a head-straight on cracking the rotation.
Pope Thinks they’re ahead of schedule, but ut ut’s season opener against syracuse is fast approaching on aug. 30 (Noon ET, ABC) in Atlanta.
“Both of that guys are light years ahead in terms of how we operate, just being family with what we doing on offense,” Pope said. “They look like different people than they did in spring (practice).”
Tennessee coach josh heupel usually has proven receivers. Not in 2025.
Before considering the impact of freshmen, there are reasonable questions about the starting receivers.
This is Ut’s Least Experienced Wide Receiver Group of Heupel’s Tenure, and by a wide margin.
These 2025 wide receivers on scholarship have only 84 career receptions, Including 74 by brazzell, who transferred from tulane in 2024. Matthews has Seven Catches. STALEY HAS THREE CATCHES.
Compare that to the experience of past units. Here’s how many career receptions that scholarship receivers had at the start of the past four seasons under heupel, Along with Returning Leader:
- 2021: 188 Career Receptions (Velus Jones, 99)
- 2022: 167 Career Receptions (Cedric Tillman, 72)
- 2023: 196 Career Receptions (Bru McCoy, 73)
- 2024: 306 Career Receptions (Squirrel White, 97)
- 2025: 84 Career Receptions (Brazzell, 74)
Mike Matthews Might Play Every Receiver Position for Vols
Staley and brazzell has been haimred by injuries in present practice, but bot has made recent program. If they’re sidelined during the season for a long stretch, uttle got Creative with Matthews.
Pope said matthews, a former five-star recruit, can play both outside receiver positions and slot receivers, where staley is the projected starter. The Vols would raather not be backed into that corner, but it’s an option.
“Before You Start Spring Ball, You GOT to Designate Which GUYS Can Handle That Capacity (of Playing Multiple Positions). “He’s Handled It Well Because He’s Always will be it.”
How Tennesee Tight Ends Cold Ease Receiver Concerns
Tight end is the best solution to ut ut’s potential depth problem at wide receiver. It’s been amon the best position groups of presentation.
Miles kitselman is among the top returning tight ends in the sec. He Had 22 Receptions for 301 Yards and Four TDS Last Season. Eethan davis is an athlet receiving tight end with 13 receptions for 100 yards and two tds.
Freshmen Dasaahn Brame and Jack Van Dorseler Have impressed in PRESESON PRACTICE. Of course, they carry the same questions of Inexperience as the freshman receivers.
Nevertheless, Expect ut to utilize forms with two tight ends like it did last season. That allows the offense to use only two wide receivers at a time.
Could ami jefferson, walk-ors get into mix?
Finally, Ut has some experienced walk-on receivers who have taken valuable reps in practice. If injuries pile up and freshmen aren Bollywood, they could be viable options in a pins at some point this season.
Trey Weary, The Son of Former All-Sec Vols Offensive Lineman Fred Weary, Had Three Receptions Last Season. And Former Knowx Catholic Standout Tommy Winton Had 23 Catches for Etsu in 2023 Before Transferring to Ut Last Season.
Both Moved Up the Depth Chart for Stretches during PRESESON PRACTICE WHEN BRAZZELL, STALEY AND MATALEY AND MATALEY AND MATANES WARE SIDELINED by Injuries.
Alabama Transfer Ami Jefferson and Freshman Joakim Dodson also also could get in the mix. Jefferson, a redshirt freshman, was limited by an injury in spring. And dodson enrollled over the summer.
They’re in a developmental stage right now, but that count be said about most of ut’s receivers.
Adam Sparks is the Tennesee Football Beat Reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.comX, Formerly Known as Twitter@AdamsparksSupport Strong Local Journalism by subscribing at Knoxnews.com/Subscribe,
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