Tennessee freshman wide receiver Josh Malone has seen limited action in each of his first three games. However, the five-star, No. 36 overall prospect for the 2014 recruiting class will likely see an increase in playing time as the Vols face key injuries at the wide receiver position.

Malone is expected to start in Tennessee’s upcoming game– a Sept. 27 matchup against No. 13 Georgia– due to high ankle sprains to sophomore Josh Smith and junior Von Pearson. But wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni said he thinks the former Station Camp High School standout is much more prepared for his upcoming role than he was the past few weeks, as well as months leading up to the season.

Related Article: Analyzing the potential of Tennessee freshman Josh Malone

“Malone was the first one out for practice today,” Azzanni said. “His habits are getting better. His work ethic in practice is getting better. His energy in practice is getting better. And because of that, his fundamentals are getting better, because there’s a sense of urgency there. And he’s starting to, hopefully see — and I hope he is — that all that stuff translates.

You can’t be the last guy out there, you can’t have terrible work ethic, and you can’t be soft and expect your fundamentals to improve. And he’s not doing any of those things. He’s doing them all right, and all of a sudden he’s getting better. It’s fun to watch. He can be as good as he wants to be. I’ve said that from Day One. And he’s a great kid, too.”

If you’ve paid attention to my past articles, I’ve made no secret of how high I personally feel Malone’s ceiling is as a freshman. He has all the tools to become an elite SEC wideout and could make a similar impact to Marquez North in his 2013 freshman season.

Malone possess the combination of size, speed and skills to produce early if given enough reps. Playing behind North, Pearson, Smith and Howard on Tennessee’s depth chart has hindered his production. However, as Tennessee approaches its game against Georgia facing injuries, Malone will need to step up as a big-time playmaking wide receiver and should do so given an increased role.