Tennessee football’s five offseason priorities for 2022

2. Figure out WR rotation behind Cedric Tillman

Wide receiver didn’t take the same hit as defensive line because Tennessee football’s top receiver is actually coming back. However, beyond Cedric Tillman the Vols are wide open. They lost Velus Jones Jr. in the slot and then lost JaVonta Payton, who had a bit of a breakout year as a wideout in his one season with the Vols transferring from the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Finding new receivers to fill those voids won’t be much of a problem. Despite their losses, the Vols are loaded with young talent here. They still have Jalin Hyatt, Ramel Keyton and Jimmy Calloway on the roster. Meanwhile, four new receivers committed in the 2022 class.

However, the question is what type of rotation they will use. Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh are clearly showing a focus on wideouts with their personnel, and that’s evident with Heupel promoting new receivers coach Kelsey Pope, who specializes in wideouts.

Last year, though, Jones being so productive in the slot is what really opened things up. Will he use another slot guy this offseason? Calloway and Hyatt both seem capable of it given their size, but Hyatt is still more of a wideout. This rotation is what Heupel has to figure out this offseason. That’s what makes the departures such a big deal.