Tennessee football: 15 potential dark-horse Vols for 2019 season

Sticking with wide receivers, Brandon Johnson is the odd man out at wideout. Tennessee football has four senior receivers in Jauan Jennings, Marquez Callaway, Tyler Byrd and Johnson. But Byrd and Johnson are seniors while Johnson, like Jennings and Callaway, is a wideout. With Josh Palmer getting that third spot, he’s really got an uphill climb.

However, don’t count him out. The depth chart has him listed technically behind Jennings as the No. 2 guy on the list. Remember, the 6’2″ 195-pound veteran did lead the team in receiving in 2017 with 37 receptions for 482 yards and a touchdown. That was after showing promise as a freshman with seven receptions for 93 yards.

Last year, he had a drop-off in Tyson Helton’s system, partially due to the emergence of Palmer, and only caught 14 passes for 132 yards and no touchdowns. So the expectations for him entering his final year on Rocky Top are not that high, and it’s why he is technically a backup.

Still, Johnson has shown enough in the past to be effective. He joins Callaway as one of only two players on the roster to have led the team in receiving in the past. Simply put, if he doesn’t take a redshirt, he’s another receiver who could surprisingly emerge is a very effective player.