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Tennessee Football 2016 Recap: Ranking the Top 10 Vols Performers of the Season

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) hits Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) causing a fumble recovered by Tennessee for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 1, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive end Derek Barnett (9) hits Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) causing a fumble recovered by Tennessee for a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium. Tennessee defeated Georgia 34-31. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 12, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Josh Malone (3) catches a pass against Kentucky Wildcats safety Marcus McWilson (15) during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 12, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Josh Malone (3) catches a pass against Kentucky Wildcats safety Marcus McWilson (15) during the third quarter at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

Josh Malone came closer to Peerless Price than any other receiver in Tennessee football history with his ability to dramatically change plays this year. Of course, when we say closer, he still wasn’t close, but that’s not fair to make that comparison.

Anyway, Malone finished the 2016 season with 50 receptions for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns. The most impressive part of his 11 touchdowns is that all but one of them came with the game within one score.

And four of them resulted in lead changes.

So Malone was a game-changer and a guy that Butch Jones could rely on heavily whenever he needed a big play.

The 6’3″ 200-pound wide receiver was Joshua Dobbs’s most valuable target all season long and came through in big game after big game. The only win in which he didn’t have a touchdown reception was against the Georgia Bulldogs.

Malone will be an amazing NFL player and certainly lived up to his five-star billing as a junior wide receiver this year.

He often caught deep passes in traffic and made them look easy, as defenders would simply fall over trying to stop him. It was nearly cartoonish.

And he was a huge part in helping this next guy get so high up on the list.

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