Freshman wide receivers made a good impression at Tennessee football‘s first intrasquad scrimmage of spring practice on Monday night.
Travis Smith caught a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jake Merklinger on a fade route, and Radarious Jackson was part of a long streak of completions by a hot Vols passing attack.
It’s a good sign for UT’s thin receiving corps, which could rely on freshmen in the 2025 season.
“That’s just the landscape of college football. As your roster turns over, your young guys have got to be ready to learn it, earn it and go take a job,” coach Josh Heupel said. “I saw some big plays down the football field tonight. The young wide receivers did a good job in their first opportunity in a scrimmage environment.”
Returning receivers Mike Matthews, Braylon Staley and Chris Brazzell also contributed to a strong offensive showing, led by starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava. There are only six scholarship receivers on the roster in spring, but Alabama transfer Amari Jefferson is limited as he recovers from a 2024 hip injury.
Heupel said Iamaleava displayed “command and control and a complete understanding” of the offense, which is undergoing tweaks in spring.
Granted, the defense was hampered with about a dozen players sidelined by injuries. But the offense performed well from veterans to freshmen.
The scrimmage was closed to the public and media. But here are other key takeaways from Heupel’s review of the night.
Travis Smith could factor into receiver rotation
Heupel was impressed by how Smith handled the playbook, defensive coverages and the atmosphere of Neyland Stadium.
Smith, a 6-foot-3, 207-pounder, was a four-star recruit who chose UT over Georgia, Alabama and Auburn in a hotly contested recruiting battle. He enrolled early in January to compete for immediate playing time. In this first scrimmage, he took a good first step toward that possibility.
“For a young player, he has handled what we’ve installed already in the early part (of spring practice), which is a lot,” Heupel said. “He’s handled it extremely well. When you understand what you’re doing, then you can attack from the snap to the whistle.
“He’s got great size, great length. He’s competitive to the catch. And you saw that tonight.”
DeSean Bishop, Peyton Lewis are leading backfield
UT must replace running back Dylan Sampson, the 2024 SEC Player of the Year. So far, it looks like a two-man job with Sampson’s backups stepping into leading roles.
DeSean Bishop and Peyton Lewis are working as a one-two punch. They combined for 794 yards rushing and six TDs last season. But Heupel praised their pass protection in the scrimmage.
Duke transfer Star Thomas, freshman Daune Morris and freshman Justin Baker also got plenty of reps in the scrimmage. They hope to make the backfield duo into a trio.
On shorthanded defense, Joshua Josephs stands out
Edge rusher James Pearce is preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft as a potential first-round pick. And the Vols hope Joshua Josephs can slide into his role as a disruptive pass rusher.
Josephs looks the part. The 6-3, 240-pounder has flashed a lightning-quick first step, leading a defensive line that was shorthanded in the scrimmage.
“The guys that have played a lot of football have continued to grow as players,” Heupel said. “I like the length and athleticism of that (defensive line) group.”
Injured defensive players who were recently out or limited in practice include: Defensive backs Jermod McCoy, Jourdan Thomas and Christian Charles; linebackers Arion Carter, Jaedon Harmon and Jadon Perlotte; defensive linemen Caleb Herring, Nathan Robinson, Jamal Wallace, Christian Gass, Jaydin Loftin, Christian Gass and Mariyon Dye.
Miles Kitselman’s reps were trimmed before injury
Starting tight end Miles Kitselman suffered a pectoral injury last week and underwent surgery, advancing inexperienced players on the depth chart.
Redshirt sophomore Ethan Davis, redshirt freshman Cole Harrison, freshman DaSaahn Brame and freshman Jack Van Dorselaer are sharing reps at tight end. But Heupel said that process started before Kitselman was injured because the young tight ends must emerge.
“The other guys at that position are getting a ton of work,” Heupel said. “They were doing that before Miles’ (injury) because we had him in a limited role, just because of the amount of football that he’s played. It’s important that all those young guys come along.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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