Tennessee football: Ranking Vols position groups by spring practice play

1. Wide Receiver

Position coach: Tee Martin

Notable players: Josh Palmer, Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway

We expected this to be a strength of Tennessee football going in, and it didn’t disappoint. New Vols wide receivers coach Tee Martin, who obviously knows a thing or two about winning championships on Rocky Top, has praised the unit’s experience already.

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We already knew how deep this unit was with its size going into the spring. Jauan Jennings finally having an offseason to be healthy, Marquez Callaway as an elite overall athlete at the position and numerous other bodies gave this group a ton of potential.

Jim Chaney knows how to utilize elite receivers, so it was always exciting. And the group lived up to its hype, at least in the spring. The coaches continued to tout them, from Jeremy Pruitt on down, and when we got to see them in the spring game, they were stars.

The Vols receivers were the best overall unit in the spring game, as they had three of the touchdowns for the first-team offense. Jennings showed his game-breaking ability again, Callaway showed his athletic ability, and Josh Palmer, yes, Josh Palmer, broke out.

Palmer was named the most improved offensive player. Considering that the unit was already the best on the offense, a member of it being the most improved spikes its potential the way Daniel Bituli’s potential was spiked with that recognition on defense. It’s almost scary, now, how good the wide receiver unit could be.

Chaney has a collection of big receivers to work with, but they are also big-play gamers and fundamentally sound guys. So the potential is through the roof, and the Vols could have the best wide receiver match-ups in the SEC next year. Watch out. They showed a preview of their greatness in the spring game, and it may only get better.