Hendon Hooker breaks down wide receiver progression this offseason

For as much confidence and excitement that surrounds Tennessee football, there are still big questions about the wide receiver position. Gone are Velus Jones Jr. and JaVonta Payton — two fairly large chunks of the Josh Heupel offense from 2021. Obviously the good news is that Cedric Tillman is back and ready to build on his 1,000 yard season from a year ago. But what’s behind him?

The expectation is that Jalin Hyatt will slide into the slot role that Velus Jones Jr. had last season, but he must stay healthy, unlike 2021. From there, it’s a bit of a guess. On Thursday, returning super senior quarterback Hendon Hooker offered his thoughts on the position.

“Everyone knows Cedric Tillman, a big-time playmaker,” Hooker said on the SEC Network set. “He attacks the ball. He’s strong with his routes. And shakes defenders after the catch. Wonderful guy off the field as well. We have Jalin Hyatt, a slot coming back. Replacing some big shoes with Velus Jones. So I’m excited to see those two guys make big plays.”

Tillman and Hyatt are the two everyone has confidence in. So what’s next? Is it Bru McCoy — a guy who has yet to practice with the team? Jimmy Calloway? Ramel Keyton? Each of those will likely have some sort of a role, along with a handful of freshmen.

“We also have a couple young guys — Squirrel White and Kaleb Webb,” Hooker continued. “Those guys got a chance to practice with us during bowl prep. We got a chance to really see them compete at a high level, and that was really cool. One that you might not have heard of, Ramel Keyton. He’s made some great strides this summer.”

Keyton has been a bit of a forgotten man in Knoxville, but was a former highly ranked four-star recruit. We haven’t seen much more than a couple of flashes from him, but the senior now has his best chance to contribute. According to Hooker, he’s been putting in the work.

White and Webb are both guys that got plenty of attention on the recruiting trail during the last cycle. White’s speed and playmaking ability are intriguing, while Webb’s frame and speed combination are exciting looking a bit down the road.

If it’s any indication, last year’s production should give you plenty of confidence about this receiver group. Tillman emerged out of nowhere, while Jones Jr. and Payton made big strides. You can probably expect similar results this year, this time coming from Hyatt, Keyton, Calloway or McCoy.

“That’s one group that I know I can bank on,” Hooker said. “When I’m coming in early or leaving late, I’m going to see a couple receivers out there catching JUGS. Their goal right now is catching 3,000 a month, JUGS. And they’ve exceeded that by a long shot.”

Hooker is going to push this group forward, and he’ll be aided by four returning starters up front, two starting tight ends and a veteran running back. That mature core should help these young receivers along, and it’ll be interesting to see how quickly that top rotation gets set in camp.