Kelsey Pope likes growth of receivers despite being short handed
Tennessee receivers coach Kesley Pope is in a bit of a rebuilding mode with his receivers as the the Vols are losing Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman to the NFL draft later this month.
To help combat those losses Tennessee has brought in Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton. Thornton had 17 catches for 366 yards and a touchdown last season. Thornton has worked primarily at slot learning that position, but Pope said the receivers like Thornton will cross training learning other spots as well as Squirrel White is the leading slot guy returning from a year ago.
“We can get those guys on the field at the same time,” Pope said. “I think you have to be conscious of guys playing multiple spots. You have to have guys be able to play multiple spots.”
The Vols are also looking for big steps from sophomores Chas Nimrod and Kaleb Webb.
“I have seen a bunch of growth out of those two guys,” Pope said of Nimrod and Webb. “I think those two guys did a good job of observing the older guys who were ahead of them last year. They are both playing more confident. I think as we continue through this spring you will see those guys continue to make plays.”
Then there is old reliable Ramel Keyton to go with Bru McCoy, who is out this spring after an off-season procedure on his elbow.
Monday, the Vols were even more limited at the receiver spot with guys banged up coming out of the first scrimmage on Saturday. However, Pope likes what he has seen from his receivers through two weeks of spring practice and he’s looking for more consistency the back half of spring practice which will conclude with the annual orange and white game on April 15th at Neyland Stadium.
