Tennessee football stock report after Week 6 of 2020
Stock up
Wideouts
For three straight weeks, Josh Palmer has led the Vols in receiving. He now has 14 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns. On Saturday at the Georgia Bulldogs, he had his best game, catching four passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. Palmer has proven he can fill the void left by Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway, and he keeps winning jump-balls to do it.
Beyond Palmer, the other starting wideout, Brandon Johnson, has been great at making key catches. He had a great first-down catch when he got rocked on a hit and lost his helmet, and he then converted on another third down with a great run. Add that to his one-armed catch against the South Carolina Gamecocks and key catches against the Missouri Tigers, and this unit is rolling.
Paxton Brooks
Brent Cimaglia didn’t have a chance to rectify his early-season issue on Saturday, as Tennessee football didn’t attempt ay field goals. However, Paxton Brooks has continued to emerge in his first full year as a starter with the Vols, keeping their title of Punter U alive. Even in a loss, Saturday may have been his breakout game as a punter on Rocky Top.
Brooks earned the Ray Guy Punter of the Week award for his play. He had six punts on the day, and four of them either went 50 yards or pinned the Dawgs inside the 20. An average of over 47 yards per punt with two sailing 50 or more yards and three going inside the 20 speaks for itself. One went inside the UGA five-yard line. Simply put, this guy has arrived, and isn’t going anywhere.