6’3″ 215 pounds; Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
We mentioned Velus Jones Jr. as a winner from spring practice based on his expectations and production. However, Cedric Tillman was Tennessee football’s breakout wide receiver in spring ball and could become the top wideout this year. Yes, he may have beaten out Jalin Hyatt, Malachi Wideman and Ramel Keyton for that role.
More from Vols Football
- How to Win a GUARANTEED $200 Bonus Betting Just $5 on the Vols vs. Florida!
- Tennessee Football at Florida: Five Keys to a Vols Victory
- Week 3 SEC Power Rankings: Did Tennessee Football’s Win Help At All?
- Week 3 AP Polls: Why Did Tennessee Football Drop in the Polls?
- Tennessee Football: Top Five Performers in 30-13 Win vs. Austin Peay
The graduate of Bishop Gorman High School in Nevada’s Clark County has been a major overachiever already as a lowly-rated recruit back in 2018, just a two-star on Rivals and a three-star on 247Sports. Over the past two years, he has seven catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns. This offseason, though, he proved even more.
Tillman and Walker Merrill were the two receivers specifically mentioned by Heupel as standouts in spring ball in that interview with The Swain Event. Heupel actually mentioned him in multiple interviews, whereas Jones, Merrill and Jimmy Calloway were mentioned in one each. Taking that into account, Heupel clearly was a fan of his development, and that stands out.
Then there was the Orange and White game itself. In that one, Tillman had five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Only Jones and Jack Jancek, a walk-on who likely won’t perform as well as he did in that game, had more yards. Tillman proved enough to potentially be the go-to guy on the outside this year in the passing game, and that’s a huge win for him.