Nov 15, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Von Pearson (9) runs the ball against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Von Pearson Will Breakout In 2015
I casually mentioned on Friday morning that Von Pearson would have a big day against Iowa.
Pearson didn’t exactly set the field on fire, the flow of the game didn’t necessitate it, but he was clearly the Vols’ best wide receiver on the day.
The JuCo transfer had seven catches (five more than anyone else on the team) for 75 yards and one toe-tapping touchdown.
While those aren’t eye-popping numbers, they are definitely a good sign for the young receiver heading into the 2015 season.
Fans probably expected a lot more from Pearson than the 31 catches and 318 receiving yards that he delivered in 2014. That’s because Pearson, inevitably, garnered comparisons to former Vol receiver (and fellow JuCo transfer) Cordarrelle Patterson.
But those comparisons were far from fair. The main reason is that the situation that Patterson stepped into was completely different from Pearson’s.
Patterson lined up opposite Justin Hunter, had an established gun-slinger quarterback in Tyler Bray, played alongside an offensive line ripe with future NFL talent and also had Mychal Rivera lining up at tight end.
Not to discount the Vols’ 2014 offense, but there’s definitely a talent discrepancy between the 2012 and 2014 Vols (which makes Derek Dooley’s 5-7 record in 2012 even more perplexing).
Von Pearson is going to make his own way as a Tennessee Volunteer. I feel confident he’ll leave his mark, in a big way, in 2015.
Marquez North and Josh Malone might receive most of the headlines heading into 2015, but Pearson is the guy that has the potential to be the Vols’ most dangerous playmaker.