Tennessee football’s top five performers in 56-0 win vs. Tennessee Tech
Velus Jones Jr.. 4. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Wide receiver. Redshirt senior. player. 839
3 catches for 65 yards, 1 TD; 3 PR for 32 yards; 1 KR for 23 yards
Everybody was waiting for Tennessee football’s two most experienced receivers to step up and make big plays, and it happened in this game. JaVonta Payton had three catches for 46 yards and an amazing touchdown grab. He almost made this list. However, Payton couldn’t come down with a couple of deep balls, which hurt his case.
Meanwhile, Velus Jones Jr. had better stats overall and was a weapon in the return game. That was enough for us to put him on here. Jones was fully healthy in this game for the first time all year, and he seemingly showed it immediately by running back the opening kickoff for a touchdown. That play was called back, though.
Still, Jones then managed to make big plays on offense. His touchdown grab was a crucial catch on 4th and 3 that he took 45 yards to the house. That’s the play that put the Vols in control, up 21-0. Payton made a fourth down catch too, but this one was bigger.
If Jones doesn’t make this play, the Golden Eagles would have had the ball near midfield only down 14-0 in the second. Add in the fact that he averaged nearly 11 yards a punt return, and he clearly was the top offensive playmaker.