Coffee County’s Alontae Taylor runs the football for the East team during Friday’s all-star game at Austin Peay.Editor’s note: This is the sixth story in a series previewing Tennessee football before spring practices begin Tuesday.
When Tennessee’s leading returning receiver Jauan Jennings left the 2017 football season opener against Georgia Tech with a wrist injury, it was a loss from which the team never recovered.
With then-redshirt senior Josh Smith also dealing with injuries, the Volunteers’ receiving corps struggled all year with a new position coach and a group of young players.
Tuesday could be the start of a new beginning. The Vols will start spring practices with another new wide receivers coach, David Johnson, and a new offensive scheme under first-year coordinator Tyson Helton and first-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt.
Joining the competition at receiver in time for spring drills is Alontae Taylor from Coffee County, who was one of the highest-rated players in Tennessee’s 2018 signing class.