Tennessee football’s top five options to replace JaVonta Payton

Another member of Tennessee football’s 2022 recruiting class who still came with some hype, Chas Nimrod drew some attention in the spring.

Just like Kaleb Webb, Chas Nimrod was a highly touted recruit for Tennessee football this year. He was only a four-star on one service, though, On3, and he was a three-star on Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN. As a result, it’s safe to say Webb was a much more highly touted recruit than Nimrod which makes it shocking that Nimrod is one spot higher.

However, it’s impossible to ignore that Nimrod actually got mentioned in spring ball. During the first week, Nimrod was specifically mentioned as a freshman who stands out. That suggests that he arrived on Rocky Top much more ready for the spotlight than most.

Now, he didn’t draw any headlines after that, so it’s very possible Webb and others surpassed him. However, nobody is more firmly entrenched as a wideout than Nimrod, and JaVonta Payton leaves a huge void to fill. Sometimes, an understanding of the game is more important than the potential. Payton himself was so effective based on his understanding.

Taking all of this into account, Nimrod has a great chance to replace Payton. It’s not as likely he works his way into being the No. 1 wideout one day the way it is for Webb, but he could potentially do it, and all signs point to him being a solid rotational receiver. That could happen soon.