Tennessee Football Freshman Receives Prestigious Conference Honor

Braylon Staley has received a huge honor for being a top player in the SEC.

Oct 25, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel is interviewed after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers had a lot of ups and downs throughout the season, both on and off the field.

Before the season started, they were forced to battle some adversity, as the Vols had a very rough time with the NCAA transfer portal. They suffered over 30 departures from the roster to the transfer portal, but they also experienced even more players leaving, this time it was for the draft.

This led to the roster being one of the youngest rosters in the history of Tennessee football, as the Vols had the majority of the guys as players who must return. Just as a team they had nearly 50% of their roster with the freshman title.

The Vols have seen a lot of success from certain freshmen, including one of the better freshmen in the nation. Not only that, but arguably the best freshman in the SEC, as the Vols' slot receiver Braylon Staley, made headlines. Staley is a former high school star who was a redshirt-freshman this year, but in his time at Storm Thurmond, he became a top receiver, as he finished the cycle as a four-star, and one of the receivers that they added.

Tennessee Football Freshman Receives Prestigious Conference Honor

Tennessee wide receiver Braylon Staley (14) smiles during warm-ups before a NCAA football game between Tennessee Volunteers and New Mexico State Aggies at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 15, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Staley saw minimal action in the games last season with the Vols, but in this season, he was chasing a 1k yard season, which is exactly what you would want out of a roster of young guys. Staley received a massive honor that many have quickly celebrated. The Tennessee Vols receiver was named the SEC Freshman of the Year. This is an honor that has only been won a select few times, as the Vols last saw the award won by running back and former NFL star Jamal Lewis. The only other person to win the award other than Staley and Lewis is Peyton Manning.

That is elite company for Staley to join, and it is well deserved when you look at the stats. He finished the season with 64 catches, 806 yards, and six touchdowns, which is the second-best set of stats for the Vols, but he follows behind a guy who is anticipated to be a first-rounder in the next draft. That player is Chris Brazzell, who finished with over 1k yards on 62 catches and nine touchdowns on the season.

Staley will be a key returning piece for the Vols and will likely have a lot of preseason All-American honors.

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