Tennessee receivers using 'everyday expectation' to beat misconceptions on Vols' offense

Dont’e Thornton had plenty of reasons to choose Tennessee as he evaluated options after he left Oregon to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal last winter. One of the major reasons was the success Tennessee has had throwing the football all over the field during Josh Heupel’s first two seasons in Knoxville.

“That is definitely a big reason for why I came here,” Thornton told local media on Wednesday. “The biggest part about this offense is that Coach Heupel wants to throw the ball. If you look back and see it, he threw the ball a lot of the time throughout his first two years. It was the most any head coach, or offensive-minded coach, threw the ball with success in their first two seasons.”

“If you’re a receiver, this will be the best place for you to be.”

Thornton’s last statement can be backed up by the early success third-round pick Cedric Tillman and 2022 Biletnikoff winner Jalin Hyatt have experienced in training camp this summer to start their respective NFL careers.

Despite all of this, there is still a negative recruiting tactic being thrown around about the Tennessee offense and its lack of development. But for second-year receiver’s coach Kelsey Pope, what Hyatt and Tillman are doing in the NFL is the day-to-day expectation for his receiver room.

“I think it’s awesome to see (what Hyatt and Tillman have achieved) but quite frankly, that’s the expectation,” Pope said on Wednesday. “You hear a lot of people say a lot about the offense and this and that and people make up what they want to in recruiting. This offense helps guys win in one-on-one matchups. That league is all about one-on-one matchups. So, the things that those guys are doing there is an expectation by everybody in this building, that they’re going to win situations like that.”

“We look forward to seeing those guys. Texting back and forth with those guys between games and between practices is awesome. It’s also good to share with your current guys because they saw those guys, where they started. Jalin and Cedric started their career here and where they are now, I think those experiences you can use as learning tools for the guys you got in your room.”

Tennessee has continued to build on success from last season’s 11-win performance, as they have locked in commitments from 2024 five-star Mike Matthews and top-125 wide receiver Braylon Staley. They also remain heavily involved for top-75 propsects Ryan Wingo and Kam Mikell.

In addition to Thornton, the Vols return several key pieces this fall, including Ramel Keyton, Bru McCoy, and Squirrel White. Tennessee continues work toward the season-opener against Virginia in Nashville on September 2nd.

Pope acknowledged on Wednesday that he has to battle the misconception of the Tennessee offense not preparing receivers for the NFL.

“I think what people don’t understand, they try to just kind of make up,” he said on Wedneday. “It’s my job as a coach to answer questions in the recruiting process. Our offense puts guys in situations to win one-on-one matchups. Defenses are supposed to stop guys in those one-on-one situations. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day what the scheme is, what the play call is. I’m given a technique to beat a defensive player. He’s given a technique to beat me. If I’m beating him 10 out of 10 times, I can translate that on any level, and that’s what it comes down to.”

“Now guys have different skill sets. You show those in recruiting. Guys are put in different spots, you show those in recruiting. At the end of the day, you got to win your matchup, and that’s what it is. That’s what those guys have learned to do and that’s what they showed on Saturday. That’s why they’re successful in the league. It’s no rhyme or reason to why they’re doing it besides a transition from what they did in college.”