Tennessee’s quarterback Nico Iamaleava is going to shoulder most of the blame when he seemingly just misses a wide-open receiver. That’s always on the quarterback, right? Not necessarily.
Iamaleava, who is still just a redshirt freshman, is also going to take heat when he seems befuddled in the pocket. That has to be his lack of comprehension, right? Well, that’s a little simplistic.
Both of those are assumptions about Iamaleava are based on a couple of things. First, there is a belief, mostly because of the Vols’ offense in 2022, that the Vols should just run up the score and gain yards in bunches. Second, there is the notion that Tennessee’s receivers are bona fide superstars and they’re just going to be open on any given down. Well, that hasn’t exactly been the case.
Tennessee’s receivers haven’t entirely held up their end up the deal, partly due to injury. The Vols go-to receiver and supposedly the one who can truly dictate coverage in the secondary, has been hampered by a hand injury for most of the season. The Vols sleek pass catcher, Dont’e Thornton, has also been hampered by a lower leg injury. Slot receiver Squirrel White has been dealing with a shoulder injury that is obviously quite painful for the junior to deal with.
In other words, Tennessee’s receivers have not been getting open nearly as consistently as one would have expected against quality competition. Iamaleava certainly didn’t struggle when lower-level defenses, like Chattanooga and Kent State, couldn’t defend the Vols’ receivers, which were more open than a Waffle House as Tennessee’s offense looked like it had already achieved 2022 status in September.
Alas, that has not been the case for the Vols’ offense. Certainly, Iamaleava carries some of the blame. However, the Vols haven’t been nearly as productive in just getting open as one would have expected based on early-season expectations. Tennessee’s receivers seemed to turn a corner, along with Iamaleava, when it came to getting open on Saturday in the Vols’ win against Alabama.
“The last couple of weeks, they’ve continued to grow in what they’re doing,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said. “Chris Brazzell is a great example of what happens because of how you practice and how you prepare and you start stacking days and weeks of performing at a high level on the practice field and it will translate to the game.
“There’s still a lot of growth left in that wide receiver room. We’ve played a bunch of bodies. We need that room to continue to grow. That will be a part of the puzzle.”
Brazzell may have helped Iamaleava more than words can describe when he sprinted down the sideline, got open when Iamaleava was sprinting out of the pocket and caught a 55-yard pass against Alabama. Then, Brazzell caught a 16-yard, diving touchdown pass that continued to build Iamaleava’s confidence. Those were both big-time throws and big-time catches.
That could be mean more confidence for Iamaleava and the entire Tennessee passing game. It also should be considered normal that it took Brazzell a bit to get adjusted to Tennessee. The same could be said for Thornton, who was a bit disappointing early last season before hitting his stride. Then, he suffered a season-ending injury in October. Now, he’s a bona fide target for Iamaleava.
Brazzell could be at the point in which things are starting to click. It certainly looked that way as he helped the Vols past the Crimson Tide. He had three catches for 70 yards against Bama.
The key for Brazzell is that there should be no pass thrown his way that he can’t make a play on – even when he’s covered. Brazzell can win one-on-one, jump-ball battles thanks to his size, 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds, and elite athleticism.
The Vols would also love to lean more on White, who has been a warrior playing with an injured shoulder. However, there have been times in which his shoulder may have hurt his play. That puts Heupel in a tough spot, especially if White is cleared by the Vols’ medical staff, wants to play and is still one of UT’s better options in the passing game, even with a bum shoulder. The off-week should be good for White.
“I feel like Squirrel will be ready to roll when we get to to the next football game,” Heupel said after practice on Wednesday. “He was limited today. One of those guys has been dinged up a little bit, but I feel like he’ll be ready to roll.”
It’s easy to blame Iamaleava for a pass that doesn’t find its target. However, that’s a bit too simplistic. Have injuries and inexperience been a factor at times in the Vols’ passing game? Certainly. If the Vols can overcome that, Tennessee’s offense can hit a whole other level.
