Tennessee football’s WR room ranking by outlet shows Cedric Tillman’s value
The tight ends combined for Tennessee football didn’t reach 400 yards receiving last year, and the Vols lost their No. 2 and No. 3 wide receivers. As a result, this is an area where a drop-off would seem to be expected, and nobody would have high hopes for production across the board.
However, College Football News ranked the Vols’ wide receiver and tight ends room No. 6 in the nation. Sure, there is a lot of depth and a plethora of unproven talent and untapped potential, but given what was lost, that ranking is shockingly high.
So what’s causing it? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Returning go-to wideout Cedric Tillman just brings that much value to Tennessee football in 2022. Here’s what was written about the reasoning behind the rankings for the Vols.
"The fantastic passing game got even more help with Bru McCoy a big-time talent from USC coming in. Leading receiver Cedric Tillman returns after catching 64 passes for 1,081 yards and 12 scores, Jalen Hyatt will grow into more of a role, and there’s good depth."
Sure, Bru McCoy may have been mentioned, but the USC Trojans transfer’s eligibility is still in question, and he has only ever seen action one season ever since coming out of high school in 2019. As a result, there are tons of questions surrounding him. Even if he does play, it’s not a guarantee he’ll win a starting spot.
Meanwhile, Jalin Hyatt brought this hype with him last year but didn’t live up to it. Everything with him is now based on what Josh Heupel has said in the offseason. We still don’t know exactly where he will play, so it’s premature to bet on the Vols because of him.
On the tight end front, Paxton Brooks and Jacob Warren both decided to return this year as by-committee starters, and that was a huge deal for the Vols. However, given their stats last year, they don’t bring much to bet on either despite their underrated value.
Taking that into account, Tillman is the only player really carrying this ranking. He’s the first returning 1,000-yard receiver for the Vols since Kelley Washington in 2002. In fact, nobody has ever returned to UT coming off a season with as many yards or touchdowns as him.
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Add in the fact that he has Hendon Hooker back to throw him the ball and Heupel’s offensive scheme still in place, and he’s got a chance to shine more on an individual basis this year. Tennessee football may have the biggest superstar at receiver by the end of the year.