Texas A&M Aggies vs. Tennessee Volunteers Week 7: Offensive Players To Watch
The Tennessee Volunteers (4-1, 1-1, SEC) host Texas A&M (4-2, 2-1, SEC) in Knoxville on Saturday as the Aggies hope to bounce back from a home loss to the Crimson Tide.
The Aggies face Tennessee a week after a devastating 26-20 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field. With all the hype that was associated with that game, it'll be easy for coach Jimbo Fisher and his staff to overlook the Vols.
The Vols currently sit at 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference. Wins over Virginia, Austin Peay, UTSA and South Carolina are marred by a head-scratching loss to the Florida Gators.
Tennessee won double-digit games last year for the first time since 2007, and the program feels like it's finally getting solid again under coach Josh Heupel. It was going to be hard for the Vols to replace former quarterback Hendon Hooker, who's off to the NFL, and Joe Milton has been up to the task this season. Milton has 101 completions on 160 attempts this year for 1,164 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.
Also gone are receivers Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt, but Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White have stepped up, and the Tennessee offense hasn't missed a beat.
The Volunteers lead the nation in total offense last season with 525.5 yards per game, absolutely destroying opposing defenses on a weekly basis. One of the keys to keeping the offense as powerful as last year will be the offensive line. Gone are Darnell Wright and Jerome Carvin, but Tennessee brought in bug names from the transfer portal in Miami's John Campbell Jr. and Texas' Andrej Karic.
QB Joe Milton
Joe Milton
USA Today
Milton won the starting role to replace the departed Hendon Hooker who was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of this year's NFL Draft. Milton spent his first three seasons at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee in 2021. This season, Milton has completed 101 of 160 passes for 1,164 yards and nine touchdowns to three interceptions.
WR Squirrel White
Squirrel White
USA Today
White has taken over as the defacto WR1 option after Jalin Hyatt left for the New York Giants in this year's NFL Draft. Last season, McCoy registered 52 catches for 667 yards and five touchdowns.
RB Jaylen Wright
Jaylen Wright
USA Today
Wright enters his second season with the Vols, and in 22 games played for Tennesse, he's amassed 1,284 yards on 231 carries, an average of 5.6 yards per carry. Last season alone Wright ran for 875 yards on 146 carries (a 6.0 yards per catch average), securing himself as the Volunteers' best option on the ground. He's an explosive running back who got stronger as the 2022 season went on. This season, Wright has run for 435 yards on 61 carries - an average of 7.1 yards per carry - and scored one touchdown.
