Tennessee WR coach says team knew it had to ‘evolve’ after Playoff failure in 2024
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Tennessee took its first trip to the College Football Playoff in 2024.
It was a short one, though. The Volunteers didn’t get out of the first round, suffering a blowout loss at Ohio State.
Tennessee will look to return to the Playoff in 2025, though, as Joey Aguilar has impressed in his first few games at quarterback. The offense as a whole has included a few adjustments, too.
“Last season, we left the (Playoff), and as an offensive staff, man, we felt like we got to evolve. We got to go seek and learn get some different things. We had to take accountability and look in the mirror as coaches,” Volunteers wide receiver coach Kelsey Pope said on Tuesday, according to Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert. “And I think we did that with the things that we’re showing on offense. It’s completely foreign to what Tennessee offenses has looked like here so far.”
The Vols offense has gotten off to a blazing start, and that’s even with losing to Georgia in a game where they scored 41 points. They opened with 45 points against Syracuse in Atlanta and 72 points against ETSU in their home opener.
Aguilar has thrown for 906 yards and 9 touchdowns, including a 371-yard, 4-touchdown performance against the Bulldogs. Chris Brazzell (364 yards, 5 TDs) has already passed his yardage total from a season ago and leads the SEC in receiving touchdowns. Braylon Stanley, a freshman in 2024, has emerged as another primary weapon (231 yards, 2 TDs).
Meanwhile, Star Thomas and DeSean Bishop (425 yards, 4 TDs combined) have split most of the carries in the backfield.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
