Braylon Staley continues 'to take his game to another level'
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Braylon Staley enters his third season at Tennessee in 2026. The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver led the Vols in receptions (68) last season.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed his redshirt sophomore wide receiver on Monday at SEC media days in Tampa, Florida. He detailed how Staley continues to grow within the Vols’ program.
“A year ago there were a lot of questions about our wide receiver core, inexperience coming back,” Heupel said. “You look at what Braylon did, Mike (Matthews) did, Chris (Brazzell II) went on to the NFL. I think we had three out of the top five receivers in yards inside of the league.
“Braylon has continued to take his game to another level. Hyper-focused on how he wants to compete every day, how he takes care of his body, growing an understanding of offensive football, but defensive coverages. He’s a guy that has the ability to play in the slot, on the outside. I think that versatility in our wide receiver room, both him and Mike, some of the young guys that we have, afford us the luxury of doing some unique things within the scope of what we do offensively.”
Staley recorded 68 receptions for 837 yards and six touchdowns in 2025.
He earned 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year honors from SEC coaches and the Associated Press. Staley became the third player in program history to earn the honor, joining Jamal Lewis (1997) and quarterback Peyton Manning (1994).
As a freshman in 2024, he appeared in four contests and earned a redshirt. Staley recorded three receptions for 21 yards.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Braylon Staley continues ‘to take his game to another level’
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