Volunteer Country

Former Tennessee Volunteers Star Set for Start in His NFL Debut

This former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver is set for his first game in the league, and will be starting.
Caleb Sisk|
The KOC Kick-Off Classic football jamboree held at the University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium on Friday, August 13, 2021.
The KOC Kick-Off Classic football jamboree held at the University of Tennessee's Neyland Stadium on Friday, August 13, 2021. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

The Tennessee Volunteers are freshly off their first win after they defeated the Syracuse Orange and they're very first game of the season inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. While this wasn't a shock for the Vols, they still lost many players to the NFL Draft during the offseason, which is something they will have to battle with this season.

One of the players that they lost to the NFL Draft is set to make his NFL debut, and not only will he be making his debut, but he will be making the debut as a starter for an NFL team that drafted him on the third day of the event.

In the first edition of the Las Vegas Raiders' depth chart, former Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Dont'e Thornton Jr is set to make his debut as a starter. Thornton spent two seasons in Knoxville after transferring from the Oregon Ducks. He didn't finish his first season on the field, as he suffered an upper-body injury; however, even in that season, he didn't fully get adjusted to the Vols system as some had hoped, but in the second season, he was phenomenal.

He passes the eye-test, as he is someone that NFL scouts were drooling over, as he is a 6-foot-5 frame, but he also ran a 4.3 40-yard dash. It was a miracle for him to be available on day three, and the Raiders made the right call with the selection.

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Caleb Sisk
CALEB SISK

Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.

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