Tennessee’s Receivers Are Seeing Things Differently, Literally, Thanks to Kelsey Pope

Kelsey Pope apparently does not stop coaching when he leaves Tennessee’s football facility.

Sometimes, the next idea comes while listening to a podcast.

That is how one of the more unusual offseason training methods in college football found its way into Tennessee’s wide receiver room: eye patches.

Yes, eye patches.

#GBO🍊 https://t.co/xVa6ixcNSY
— Kelsey Pope (@CoachKelseyPope) April 29, 2026

A Podcast, 25 Eye Patches and an Idea

The experiment began with Pope, Tennessee’s pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach, looking for another way to improve his players’ concentration.

“I was watching a podcast late and they talked about triggering different stimulus in your brain and covering one eye,” Pope said. “The guys gravitated to it, and so we bought about 25 eye patches and been going to work ever since. So it’s been good.”
Coach Pope

Suddenly, Tennessee’s receivers looked a little more like pirates than SEC football players.

But the idea was not simply about creating a strange offseason drill. Pope was searching for a way to address something he had noticed with drops.

Tennessee wide receiver Mike Matthews (4) makes the catch during a college football game between Tennessee and Furman in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Fixing the Problem Behind the Drops

Pope did not believe the receivers had a physical problem catching the football. In his mind, the issue was concentration.

“That’s something we really focused on this summer was just him eliminating drops, and I don’t think it was a hand-eye coordinating issue,” Pope said. “It was more of a focus issue than true hand-eye coordination.”
Coach Pope

So Tennessee got creative.

“We bought eye patches and covered one eye and caught freaking a thousand balls,” Pope said.

It sounds unconventional, but Pope believes the results come back to the work the receivers were willing to put in.

“It’s a testament to him of when he does the work, how much easier things will be,” Pope said.

Big road win! One at a time! #GBO🍊 pic.twitter.com/1tnfK6B3Zh
— Kelsey Pope (@CoachKelseyPope) September 8, 2024

Pope’s Path to Tennessee

The approach fits a coach who understands the receiver position firsthand.

Pope played at Samford from 2010-13, finishing his career with 250 receptions for 2,385 yards and 13 touchdowns while earning All-Southern Conference recognition three times. He later spent time with the Arizona Cardinals before beginning his coaching career.

His climb eventually took him through Ohio Northern, Shorter, Tennessee Tech, and Gardner-Webb before Josh Heupel brought him to Knoxville as an offensive analyst in 2021. Pope was promoted to wide receivers coach in 2022 and added pass game coordinator responsibilities ahead of the 2026 season.

During his tenure at Tennessee, Pope has helped develop receivers such as Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt, Cedric Tillman, Dont’e Thornton Jr., Ramel Keyton, and Chris Brazzell II.

Development has become part of his reputation, and the eye-patch experiment provides another glimpse into why.

It Is About More Than Catching Touchdowns

For Pope, however, becoming a complete Tennessee receiver requires more than catching passes.

When discussing his group, one of the plays that excited him most was a block.

“I’m always fired up when I see those guys doing that because that’s something we vehemently try to preach daily,” Pope said. “We want that same type of aggressiveness and focus and strain when we’re blocking.”

That may reveal more about Pope’s philosophy than the eye patches themselves.

Tennessee wants explosive receivers, but Pope also wants focused, physical and dependable ones. If getting there requires thousands of catches with one eye covered, apparently nobody in Knoxville is complaining.

After all, sometimes seeing the game more clearly starts with seeing only half of it.

Dinner with the playmakers tonight!
Love this unit #GBO🍊 #SLIDEOUTS pic.twitter.com/ZL1aSRwSac
— Kelsey Pope (@CoachKelseyPope) February 14, 2024

Send your questions, comments, and hot takes to our email tennesseeonsi@gmail.com for the chance to be featured in an article!

Follow Our Social Media Accounts

• Follow Vols on SI on X (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Facebook (Click HERE)
• Follow Vols on SI on Instagram (Click HERE)
• Subscribe to Vols on SI on YouTube (Click HERE)

Add us as a preferred source on Google