Sophomore receiver Marquarius “Squirrel” White wouldn’t mind trying some new math with Tennessee’s offense.
The Volunteers have used three dominant receivers in each of Josh Heupel’s first two seasons at the helm, with Cedric Tillman, Velus Jones Jr. and JaVonta Payton comprising the trio in 2021, and with Tillman, Jalin Hyatt and Bru McCoy serving as last year’s collection. When Hyatt and Tillman bypassed last December’s Orange Bowl to begin their journeys to the NFL draft, White and Ramel Keyton joined McCoy and helped the Vols trounce Clemson 31-14 to cap an 11-2 season.
Keyton, McCoy and White each scored against the Tigers and are all back this year, and they have been joined by Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton, who had 17 receptions and averaged 21.5 yards per catch last season for the Ducks.
“I’d like to see four receivers on the field,” White said last week in a news conference. “I’d like to see all four of us dominate.”
The thought of Thornton and White lining up in the slots with Keyton and McCoy on the outside is indeed intriguing, though Tennessee’s deep running back room and its tight end crop headed by sixth-year senior Jacob Warren and containing two promising freshmen may not be so quick to agree.