Anonymous opposing coach says Tennessee must develop wide receiver depth

Tennessee is having to regroup at the wide receiver position after losing 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt to the NFL after last season.

Without a face of the receiving corps heading into the new college football season, the Vols have a lot to build on as a unit. To one anonymous SEC coach, Tennessee’s success might come down to its excellence out wide.

“(Joe) Milton is not going to be (Hendon) Hooker, so the ceiling won’t be as high,” the coach said, via Athlon Sports. “They need to develop more depth at wide receiver to stay creative. This system is like a new-age option offense where it’s just hard as hell to practice it in a single week, and you get burned easily because you’re tired. You can’t replicate the tempo and pace unless you do it a little bit all season.”

“When they’re up on you, Neyland is a nightmare to play in. The stadium is back to the way it used to be.”

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In terms of the wide receiving corps, Josh Heupel has some experienced returners, an incoming transfer that is poised for a breakout season, and three freshman who could do some damage when their number’s called.

Bru McCoy leads the returning group, having been Hooker’s No. 2 option last season having caught 52 passes for 667 yards and four touchdowns. Ramel Keyton opted to return to college for another season and looks to add to his 31 receptions, 562 receiving yards and — aside from Jalin Hyatt’s 15 touchdowns — had the most receiving touchdowns on the team with five. Squirrel White is another option having returned after hauling in nearly 500 receiving yards last season.

Tennessee’s lone transfer — former Oregon Duck Dont’e Thornton — hasn’t been used to his potential through two seasons in the college ranks. Electing to leave Eugene and head to UT, the former top-100 recruit looks to be one of Milton’s top targets in 2023.

The depth chart can also be shaken up by three freshman — redshirt freshman Kaleb Webb, a former top-200 recruit in 2022, has been on fans radars since he committed. He’s finally ready to burst onto the scene in his second year.

True freshmen wideout Nathan Leacock and tight end Ethan Davis are two of the top players at their positions coming out of high school. Leacock is a top-100 recruit, and the 6-foot-4 Davis — who missed his senior season with an injury — will be a two-sport athlete for the Vols and will join Rick Barnes’ basketball squad after football season.

The depth certainly is there for the Vols — its only a matter of if they can fit into Heupel’s up-tempo offense and build the same kind of chemistry with Milton that Hyatt made with Hooker is 2022.