Tennessee Volunteers Need More out of the Wide Receiver Room

The Tennessee Volunteers need more out of their wide receiver room in 2025.

The Tennessee Volunteers are getting ready for the 2025 college football season, as spring practice is in full swing for the program. This is a pivotal time of the year for teams to work on specific areas of their game and gain overall improvement.

Head coach Josh Heupel took the podium on Tuesday to update where his team is currently at. One position group he was asked about was the wide receivers and Heupel made it known that those guys need to play at a high level this season.

"I think you've got to be good by committee," Heupel said. "End of the day, we need all 11, but we need the wide receiving corps to function at a high level."

It's not a secret that Tennessee had their share of issues at wide receiver last season. Whether it was dropped passes or just a lack of production, the Volunteers would like to see improvements at the position. After all, the Volunteers lost Bru McCoy and Dont'e Thornton to the NFL draft and Squirrel White to the transfer portal this offseason, all of whom were starters last season.

The good news for Tennessee fans is that Heupel did speak highly of one wide receiver who is expected to see an expanded role this season in the form of redshirt freshman Braylon Staley.

"He's been super consistent, has great understanding," Heupel said. "Has the ability to recognize coverage. Has played well in the early part of spring ball."

Another name Tennessee is hoping to get more out of this season is sophomore and former five-star Mike Matthews. There is also potential for true freshman Travis Smith Jr. to see the field early in his college career.

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Tennessee Volunteers Need More out of the Wide Receiver Room

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