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Tennessee football: Five ways 2022 SEC preseason poll grossly disrespects Vols

By Caleb Calhoun

Smokey runs the end zone after a touchdown during the Tennessee Volunteers' game against Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, October 20, 2018.Kns Utvsbamafootball Bp Jpg
Smokey runs the end zone after a touchdown during the Tennessee Volunteers' game against Alabama in Neyland Stadium on Saturday, October 20, 2018.Kns Utvsbamafootball Bp Jpg /
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Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Cedric Tillman (4) catches a touchdown pass between Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Dan Jackson (47) and defensive back Kelee Ringo (5) during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers wide receiver Cedric Tillman (4) catches a touchdown pass between Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Dan Jackson (47) and defensive back Kelee Ringo (5) during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Cedric Tillman second team All-SEC

Related Story. Five takeaways from Vols at SEC Media Days. light

This was insane, and every voter who didn’t have Cedric Tillman first team should be ashamed. That’s as ridiculous as giving Vanderbilt a vote to win the SEC Championship. It’s the best example of the level of disrespect Tennessee football has to face on a regular basis.

Tillman caught 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. His yards were fourth in the SEC, and his touchdowns were third. More importantly, every receiver who finished ahead of him in both categories has now gone to the NFL. There were seven 1,000-yard receivers last year in the SEC, and Tillman is the only one back.

Nobody else had more than even 900 yards. Simply put, Tillman should be considered the best receiver in the SEC. Let’s look at who was placed on the first team. Kayshon Boutte of the LSU Tigers is one of them, and he had 38 catches for 509 yards and nine touchdowns last year.

The other is Jermaine Burton, who transferred to Alabama from Georgia and had 26 catches for 497 yards and five touchdowns last year. Neither receiver is playing for the same head coach or quarterback he played for last year, while Tillman is playing for both.

Next. Projecting Vols' two-deep depth chart for 2022. dark

In what universe can you make a case for Boutte or Burton over Tillman? You can’t. Tennessee football owes it to Tillman given the way he developed last year to prove everybody wrong here this year. Tillman is the most clear-cut first teamer of anybody in the SEC.

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