The Tennessee Volunteers kicked off their 2024 fall football camp on Wednesday, with their sights set on the start of the season on August 31 against Chattanooga.
One of the more intriguing positions for the Vols this season is wide receiver. The Vols have a talented and very deep - the deepest in Heupel's four years - at wideout this year. With a number of returning veterans combined with both transfer portal talent and promising true freshman, the group has a very high ceiling, both in 2024 and beyond.
Here's how the 2024 group looks.
The returning seasoned vets - Bru McCoy, Donte Thornton, Jr. and Squirrel White
There's little question all three will be heavily involved in the offense. McCoy's return from a devastating ankle injury against South Carolina should galvanize the offense. His blocking ability on the perimeter is second to none in the entire country, which should help open up the perimeter passing and running games. McCoy will man one of the outside starting spots.
Thornton's ankle injury against Missouri ultimately kept him out for the year, but he was starting to find his stride on the perimeter after a slow start in the slot. It'll be curious to see if Heupel chooses to take advantage of his size on the perimeter this season. Thornton is probably the one of the three the least likely to secure a starting spot, but that's not to say he can't or won't.
White didn't blow up in 2023 like some thought he might, but it was an off year for the passing game pretty much across the board. There's little doubt that White has the tools to be a playmaker from the slot, and we'll see if he and Nico Iamaleava can team up for some big plays. Pencil Squirrel in for the slot.
The new (and relatively accomplished face) - Chris Brazzell II
Brazzell was unquestionably one of the Vols' biggest gets this offseason, transferring to Tennessee in January . The talented redshirt sophomore wideout had a strong 2023 season with Tulane. He totaled 44 catches for 711 yards and 5 touchdowns, earning freshman All-American honors in the process. He should be in the mix for a starting spot.
Super sophomores - Kaleb Webb and Chas Nimrod
Both redshirt sophomores saw an increased opportunity last season with the rash of injuries that struck the wide receiver room. Nimrod had the biggest play of the bunch, pulling down a 39-yard touchdown that helped make the difference in Tennessee's 33-27 win over Kentucky.
Nimrod got some praise this week from Heupel.
"He's done an unbelievable job. One of the guys that we recognized during the course of our meetings yesterday. The summer that he's had, how he's transformed his body. It's his body composition, it's his muscle mass, it's what he did in the weight room hitting PRs. He is a guy going into year three, his understanding of what we're doing offensively and his ability to play inside or outside, play with speed and be decisive, be on the same page with the quarterback and have coverage recognition. Really excited about his growth and development in our program. Excited about what he did here on day one."
Heralded freshman - Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley
Matthews, a five-star recruit out of Lilburn, GA, flashed his playmaking ability in the Orange and White game. He grabbed a 63-yard touchdown from Gaston Moore on the final play of the half. His ceiling is clearly very high.
Staley also possesses the upside and explosiveness to separate himself - along with Matthews - from just about every other young receiver on the roster. If not for the experienced talent at the top of the roster, both would have a strong chance at major playing time as true freshman. It's certainly not out of the question, especially if they can produce throughout fall camp, but the returning talent and Brazzell will make it challenging to carve out an immediate role quickly. We'll see if they're up for said challenge.
Best of the rest
There are a ton of freshmen, redshirt freshman, and sophomores whose experience is almost exclusively limited to the Vols' blowout wins against Virginia and UConn last season. As such, there's likely not much room for them to find their way onto the field in meaningful situations, particularly with Matthews, Staley, and Brazzell newly in the mix.
However, Dayton Sneed showed a lot of promise in the Orange and White game this year. The redshirt freshman had 5 catches for 73 yards including a 13-yard touchdown while looking nimble on the field. We'll see if he can carry that momentum into the season and early some playing time.
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