A summer discussion between Tennessee redshirt junior receiver Cedric Tillman and position coach Kodi Burns might have seemed more ludicrous than legitimate at the time.
“He called me up into his office,” Tillman said, “and he said there is no reason why I shouldn’t have a 1,000-yard season. It definitely became a goal of mine, and I’m definitely going to try and get it.”
To love Josh Heupel’s up-tempo offensive attack is one thing, but Tillman has loved it and truly lived it. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder out of Bishop Gorman High in Last Vegas signed with the Volunteers in 2018 and spent his first three years in Knoxville amassing just eight catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
This season, Tillman has erupted, racking up 57 receptions for 931 yards and nine touchdowns, which has him just 69 yards away from the 1,000-yard milestone as the Vols (7-5) set their sights on a Dec. 30 date with Purdue (8-4) in the Music City Bowl.
“I believe his best football is still ahead of him,” Heupel said. “He’s a guy who, from the moment we got here, has been super consistent in who he is, how he approaches the day and how he works in the weight room. He’s a guy who spends as much time as anybody watching extra film on what we’ve done offensively and what he’s going to have to do, and because of his work habits, he just constantly gets better.