Tennessee’s most distinguished receiver through seven games of its 2025 schedule has been redshirt junior Chris Brazzell II, who recently was named an Associated Press second-team midseason All-American.
The hottest receiver for the Volunteers, however, is redshirt freshman Braylon Staley.
In Tennessee’s past two contests against Arkansas and Alabama, the 6-foot, 190-pounder from Aiken, South Carolina, has racked up 16 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown. Staley’s recent surge has placed him among the Southeastern Conference’s top five receivers with 74.7 yards per game.
“Braylon is a fierce competitor, and I think that is showing up on Saturday,” Tennessee receivers coach Kelsey Pope said this week in a news conference. “Every time he shows up in the building, he’s got the same mentality. I think that approach is what helps him be successful, and I think that approach is what gives him so much confidence.
“When you do that every day — even when games don’t start right, or practice doesn’t start right — you’re able to bounce back because you create enough habits. His approach and his mentality every day of trying to find a way to get better, I think, is what contributes most to that.”