The Volunteers will be replacing the production of Chris Brazzell II, who led the team with 1,017 receiving yards and nine touchdowns during the 2025 campaign before being selected by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 83 overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The spotlight now shifts to redshirt sophomore Braylon Staley, who returns after a breakout 2025 season in which he recorded a team-high 68 receptions for 837 yards and six touchdowns. Staley earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors from both the league’s coaches and the Associated Press, becoming just the third Volunteer to receive the award alongside Jamal Lewis and Peyton Manning. After appearing in only four games as a true freshman in 2024 while preserving his redshirt, Staley emerged as one of Tennessee’s most reliable offensive weapons.
Junior Mike Matthews is expected to play another significant role after producing 53 catches for 813 yards and four touchdowns last season while also contributing 32 rushing yards. Across his first two collegiate seasons, Matthews has appeared in 24 games, making 13 starts and totaling 903 receiving yards with six touchdowns.
Tennessee also strengthened its receiving corps through the transfer portal with the addition of redshirt junior Ian Duarte from Idaho State. Duarte arrives after three productive seasons with the Bengals, where he compiled 95 receptions for 1,035 yards and six touchdowns. He also showcased his versatility as both a runner and return specialist, adding rushing production along with more than 350 combined kickoff and punt return yards.
Sophomore Radarious Jackson returns after appearing in nine games in 2025, finishing with nine receptions for 90 yards, while fellow sophomore Travis Smith Jr. contributed three catches for 29 yards in seven appearances during his freshman campaign.
The Volunteers also welcome an exciting freshman class led by five-star recruit TK Keys, who enrolled early and participated in spring practice. Ranked by 247Sports as the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver and the top overall prospect in Mississippi, Keys is expected to compete for early playing time. Freshman Tyreek King, a Knoxville native from Catholic High School, also joins the program after enrolling this summer.
Redshirt freshman Joakim Dodson is another player to watch after making an impact on special teams in Tennessee’s 2025 Music City Bowl appearance. Dodson returned two kickoffs for 114 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown, while also recording two receptions for 38 yards during his redshirt season.
With established stars returning, an experienced transfer addition, and one of the nation’s top freshman receivers entering the program, Tennessee’s wide receiver room appears well-positioned to remain one of the strengths of the Volunteers’ offense heading into the 2026 season.
