Tennessee football: Five key Vols to watch for against Georgia Bulldogs
4. 839. Senior. JaVonta Payton. Wide receiver. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
6’1″ 180 pounds
When it comes to just making big plays and nothing else, nobody has stood out for Tennessee football in that regard more than JaVonta Payton. So far this year, Payton has 14 catches, and six of them have been touchdowns. His 26.1 yards per catch would lead the nation officially if he wasn’t being counted due to not having enough receptions.
Payton has 14 catches for 366 yards, so he’s actually got the yards to make that list. He’s just not getting the respect in terms of touchdowns. Simply put, when he does catch the ball, he takes it to the house, so he doesn’t need to catch it too many times.
Against Kentucky, Payton caught two passes for 78 yards. One was a 75-yard touchdown reception, and that happened on the first play of the game. It was the sixth game in UT’s past seven outings that he came away with a touchdown catch.
On Saturday, the Vols need him to come away with one of those big plays again. Touchdowns will be at a premium. Cedric Tillman is the more methodical wideout who catches passes down the field and uses his size. UGA’s defense is too elite to be exploited by that. Payton, however, could catch them off-guard. That makes him key.