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Tennessee football: Team awards for 2021 season

By Caleb Calhoun

Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel congratulates wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (1) during senior day ceremonies before the start of the NCAA college football game between the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, November 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football
Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel congratulates wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (1) during senior day ceremonies before the start of the NCAA college football game between the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, November 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football /
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Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman (4) gets his hands on the ball but it falls incomplete in the NCAA college football game between the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, November 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football
Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman (4) gets his hands on the ball but it falls incomplete in the NCAA college football game between the Tennesse Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, November 27, 2021.Kns Tennessee Vanderbilt Football /

Most improved player: Cedric Tillman

Jabari Small, Theo Jackson and Jeremy Banks all had a case to be on here. Small stepped up after the departures of Ty Chandler and Eric Gray and led the team in rushing with 140 carries for 791 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns while catching nine passes for 77 yards.

On the other side fo the ball, Jackson finally waited five years for a chance to be a full-time starter at nickel, and he led the team in pass deflections. Henry To’o To’o and Quavaris Crouch transferring along with Juwan Mitchell going down for the season forced Jeremy Banks in at linebacker. He finished leading the team in total tackles, solo tackles, tackles for a loss and sacks.

Still, despite the play of all those guys, Cedric Tillman clearly has this title. Once a two-star prospect, he emerged as Tennessee football’s go-to receiver. With Josh Palmer and Brandon Johnson leaving and Velus Jones Jr. more of a slot guy, the competition was wide open for the go-to wideout in Josh Heupel’s new system.

JaVonta Payton was productive, Ramel Keyton has experience and Jalin Hyatt is still on the roster. Tillman, though, broke out. As a 6’3″ 215-pound redshirt junior, he had 64 catches for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns. Before this year, he had a total of eight catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns, never more than 67 receiving yards in a year. He easily wins this award.

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