KNOXVILLE - With a little more than a week until the season opener, Zach Azzanni feels five or six of his Tennessee wide receivers are ready to play in a game.
Sure, the Volunteers' wide receivers coach wishes the number was higher, yet he's plenty pleased with the players he does have.
"We're not as deep numbers-wise as I would like," Azzanni said Tuesday, "but as far as quality, I feel real good, as good as I've felt since I've been here with the quality of players we have on the edge.
"I wish we had some more numbers right now, but the quality of player we have out there, it's fun. It's fun to go to practice and watch those guys do the things they're doing. Between Josh (Malone) and Jauan (Jennings) and Preston (Williams) - all those guys out there are fun to coach because they're very talented."
Perhaps the talent finally will translate into production this season after two injury-riddled campaigns for Tennessee's receiving corps.
The Vols return only four receivers who caught passes in 2015 and have five first-year players to break into the lineup, but there's optimism heading into next Thursday's opener against Appalachian State.
"They're definitely steps ahead of where they were last year," quarterback Josh Dobbs said. "A lot of guys are emerging as playmakers, and it's really cool to see the younger guys starting to come in and make plays and show that they're going to be a force this year.
"There's a lot to be excited about in the receiver group, from Josh Malone and Preston to the younger guys coming in. Across the board I think we'll have a very productive group out there."
Until the newcomers get their feet wet, Tennessee likely will rely heavily on Josh Smith in the slot and Malone, Williams and Jennings - who's practiced all preseason in a noncontact jersey after knee surgery in April - on the outside.
While Williams has maintained his performance level from spring practice, Malone might have had the strongest preseason of any receiver.
"He's had a great training camp," offensive coordinator Mike DeBord said. "Somebody asked me about our receivers running routes and things like that, and I think he's done a great job. He went up yesterday and made an unbelievable catch. I like his focus, I like his demeanor right now - everything."
Freshman Tyler Byrd has solidified his role out of the slot with his play this preseason, but the coaches continue to evaluate the other newcomers.
Brandon Johnson was playing well prior to missing a chunk of camp with an injury. He returned Monday.
"He's a guy that I think is going to have a heck of a career here," Azzanni said, "but he's a freshman and he missed some time in training camp, so we've just got to catch him back up to speed."
While Johnson was out, junior college transfer Jeff George, who enrolled in January and went through spring practice, and freshman Marquez Callaway picked up the slack.
Freshman Latrell Williams missed nearly all of training camp and doesn't appear to be a factor at this point.
Azzanni and head coach Butch Jones believe in rotating as many guys as they can at wide receiver to keep the players fresh, but with so much inexperience with this receiving corps some wideouts must be ready to play higher snap counts than the coaching staff would prefer.
"In this day and age with how fast we play," Azzanni said, "you've got to have some guys ready to go in there and spell some guys. Our guys could play 80 to 85 snaps a game. Shoot, Marquez North had to do it here as a freshman, but the wear and tear of that will start wearing you down toward midseason and toward the end of the season.
"Josh Malone found that out as a freshman. He kind of hit a wall after that Ole Miss game and wasn't the same for the second half of the season. For us to take care of our bodies, the recovery, the freshmen coming along every week getting better and better so they can go in and spell some of those guys - it's certainly going to help with that rotation."
Jones is encouraged by the preseason his receivers have had, but he's still in wait-and-see mode with a unit that's underwhelmed the past two seasons.
"There's two keys to this group," he said. "The ability to make clutch plays, big plays. Go up, high point the ball, play the ball in the air. I think the other key component to the receiver position is just consistency whether it's on game day or on the practice field. We need a high level of consistency."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.