Billingsley's An Interesting Invite To Titans Rookie Minicamp

NASHVILLE - When the Tennessee Titans open their upcoming rookie minicamp on May 13th, most of the attention will focus on rookie second-round pick quarterback Will Levis and the rest of his draft classmates.

However, among the undrafted, there are some attractive potential candidates to watch, including Jahleel Billingsley, who will be in attendance participating as a tryout candidate.

Billingsley, a four-star recruit out of high school and a highly regarded prospect entering college. He became a name football fans of the SEC would likely recognize.

Possessing exceptional size, and freakish athletic ability, he could have been a high-round selection if not for the off-field issues that impacted his time at the University of Alabama and continued after his transfer to the University of Texas.

A tight end, Billingsley (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) was often a mismatch for defenses at Alabama. As a Crimson Tide football team member, Billingsley recorded 37 receptions for 559 receiving yards and six touchdowns over his three years in Tuscaloosa.

His numbers weren't nearly as good in Austin during his lone season, as he managed just three receptions for 38 yards.

Billingsley was named to the preseason All-SEC team in August of 2021 but struggled to stay out of head coach Nick Saban's doghouse and entered the transfer portal following that season.

According to a source close to the Alabama program, a "general lack of engagement" caused speculation that he wasn't overly interested in playing football.

His decision to transfer to Texas seemed natural, as it was under Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, then the Alabama offensive coordinator, where Billingsley had his best college season, collecting 17 catches for 256 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games.

However, the issues that plagued him in Tuscaloosa apparently followed him to Austin, as the NCAA issued a six-game suspension for something that happened before his arrival in Texas.

“(It’s) not for anything that occurred here with us but at his previous stop,” Sarkisian said at the time via The Athletic. “He’s in the process of that and he’s got five more games to go. We’ll get him back for Big 12 play.”

While details of the suspension remain unknown, what is known is Billingsley's freakish athletic ability. It's likely the reason general manager Ran Carthon was willing to invite him to Nashville for a tryout.

The biggest question now for Billingsley is whether he will be engaged and show the potential he has when his football future and the chance to get paid are on the line.

The risk of this tryout is non-existent for the Titans, but the potential reward should Billingsley have put his past issues behind him could be substantial.

Head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about finding more receivers following last week's draft, and while Billingsley officially played tight end, he also flexed outside as a receiver and, given his skill set, could make the move there full-time for the Titans.

While Billingsley was not invited to the combine, his reported numbers include a 4.60 forty, along with a 36" vertical and a 9'75" broad jump.

Now it's all up to Billingsley to show what he can do and convince the Titans that whatever happened in his past is in the past, and he is ready to dedicate himself to the sport and his development.

If he can do that and keep his focus, the Titans just might have found themselves one heck of an offensive weapon, but only time will tell.

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