Losing all three starting wide receivers from last year was a concern for Tennessee football on paper, but it wasn’t a big deal since none of them were 100 percent. The emergence of Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley combined with the return of Chris Brazzell II opened the door for the unit to be even better this year.
However, that’s only the case if all three can go, which may not happen now.
At different times this year, all of them were held out of practice. Matthews seems to have been a precautionary situation the first week of fall camp, as he has been full go since then. Brazzell and Staley are different stories, though, and Josh Heupel needs to address both.
Brazzell has been limited since the start of fall camp due to an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, reports have surfaced that he’s not fully dedicated to the role. Then, to top if all off, he was arrested over the weekend for driving with a suspended license, and it was suspended because he failed to show up for a court date in Blount County, Tenn., in August of last year.
Given all those factors, it’s reasonable to question whether or not he’ll be able to go for the Vols in September. He’s UT’s only returning regular contributor from last year at the position, having caught 29 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns, and at 6’5″ 200 pounds, he’s supposed to be the complementary possession receiver to Matthews.
Without him, the Vols will likely turn to either a true freshman or a walk-on. Trey Weary would be the walk-on, and he could be serviceable, which is all that you need for the No. 2 wideout spot. UT also has three true freshmen in Radarious Jackson, Travis Smith Jr. and Joakim Dodson, and Jacksno and Smith are rare talents, but it’s rare for true freshmen to pick up this system.
Beyond Brazzell, though, Staley was held out of the Vols’ first scrimmage, and that’s another concern. UT’s option seems a bit more straightforward there, as they are going to play Boo Carter in the slot some to meet his offseason demands, but playing him every drive is not ideal since he’ll also play defense.
Amari Jefferson could be in the picture here, but he’s also in his first year in the system, and he’s a redshirt freshman who missed spring practice due to injury. Simply put, Heupel, Joey Halzle and Kelsey Pope have a lot of options at both spots, but neither are good options.
Taking this into account, wide receiver is definitely a concern for Tennessee football. The Vols could easily withstand the losses of Bru McCoy, Dont’e Thornton and Squirrel White, but they can’t afford to go too deep into their depth chart. If this were 2026, that would be a different story, but they’re too young this year.
