TJ Chapman
Editor
The offense for the Tennessee Volunteers (7-3, 3-3 SEC) is once again one of the best in the country. Head coach Josh Heupel’s Vols are ranked in the top 3 in three categories. Tennessee is No. 2 in the FBS in both scoring offense (43.4 PPG) and total offense (495.0 YPG). The Vols’ passing offense is No. 3, averaging 318.3 yards per game.
The credit for the boost in the passing game can be attributed to QB Joey Aguilar replacing Nico Iamaleava, last year’s starting quarterback. Aguilar joined the Vols in April and picked up the offense quickly. The deep ball thrown by Aguilar has been much more effective than Iamaleava was in 2024.
Tennessee’s trio of WRs, Chris Brazzell, II, Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley has given Aguilar a tremendous trio of options. Brazzell has been named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and Matthews is third on the team in all receiving statistical categories.
Staley, the 6-foot, 190-pound redshirt freshman from Aiken, SC, has emerged as a legitimate receiving threat. Staley is ranked in the top 30 in the FBS with 57 catches (T22), yards with 761 (25) and TDs with 6 (T29).
Among freshmen, Staley ranks 2nd, 1st and 1st in those categories, respectively. Tennessee WR coach Kelsey Pope has done a wonderful job with the WRs in 2025. Pope spoke with the media this week and mentioned Staley’s growth.
“I think route-running for one,” Pope said. “He’s much better. He understands angles. He does a great job of sitting in windows over the middle of the field.”
The growth from fall camp to now is noticeable to Pope. The biggest difference for Staley has been his physicality.
“I say the biggest leap that he’s taken is just physicality. When he got here, he was obviously a football player in high school, but he ran track, and physicality didn’t come natural. You guys know — just like I know in this league — man, you have to be physical at every position. You see him on some of the stuff where he’s blocking.”
When compared to other freshmen receivers, Staley has soared above them all. Miami’s Malachi Toney gets the majority of the headlines because he is a true freshman and Miami is still in the CFP hunt.
Toney’s 59 catches lead all freshman receivers and are slightly more than Staley’s 57. However, Staley is ahead of Toney in receiving yards, average yards per catch and receiving TDs.
Neither Staley nor Toney has padded stats against inferior teams. Both have played against solid competition. Toney had back-to-back 100-yard games against Florida State and Louisville. While Staley’s 100-yard games came against Arkansas and Kentucky, he had over 90 yards against both Georgia and Alabama.
Having receivers such as Brazzell and Matthews beside him makes life easier for Staley. As does having a QB who can make the throws to those receivers. Staley is making his mark against some of the better defenses in the SEC. That is why Staley is the top freshman receiver in the nation, and should be the front-runner for the Shawn Alexander Award, given to the nation’s top freshman.
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